Pokémon BW AU - Rise of a Hero
by Talon1017
Summary: Question; What if the main player of Pokémon Black/White lost to N and Team Plasma now ruled Unova? The first "Hero" has failed. Now, 20 years later, it's time for a new Hero to rise!
1. Prologue

With a final mighty roar, the black dragon Zekrom fell to the floor. The young trainer fell to his knees as his companion was defeated. He stared in a slight daze as the dragon Pokémon shrank into a small black stone just large enough to fit comfortably in his hand.

"I commend you on such a compelling battle," said the victor softly as he approached the defeated trainer. The Reshiram behind him growled softly. "It's a shame to see you lose, but the truth is much stronger than your ideals. I have defeated your Champion and now you. You must release your Pokémon. You make them suffer by keeping them in your balls."

"You won't get away with this, N," snapped the trainer. "Others will rise up against you. I won't stop until I've defeated you."

"You can't," replied N softly, his gaze distant. "Truth triumphs and your ideals weren't strong enough to sustain Zekrom. It has forsaken you. You have no choice but to hand over your Pokémon and admit defeat. I can promise you I will take very good care of them. They will be happy and free of human influence."

The young trainer pursed his lips in a scowl. "I – I … They are my friends."

"Then as a friend, you should let them go," N said while he gently picked up the black stone Zekrom had become and glanced at the white dragon behind him. "Lead this world into a time where Pokémon can be free and happy; safe from all oppression. Give them to me and I'll let them go. I'll watch over them and I'll make sure they are well tended for."

The trainer hesitated a moment longer before he reached into his bag and slowly removed five Poké Balls. In great regret and sorrow, he turned his face to the floor and held out the balls with a hand which shook slightly.

"Good," breathed N as he gently lifted them from the trainer's hand as though he were handling fine crystal. "I regret doing this, as it breaks my heart to see the strong bonds you have with your Pokémon be severed, but it is necessary if we are to free the Pokémon from the foolish people who would abuse them like slaves. Your example will change the world."

The trainer glared at N for a brief moment as the young man took his Pokéballs across the room and passed them to an attendant dressed in full Team Plasma armor. He turned his face away again and a single tear slid down his cheek to 'ping' softly on the stone floor at his feet.


	2. Chapter 1

With a hesitant glance behind me, I gently pushed through the barren branches of a small bush. Dark black clouds loomed overhead and the dim flickering of raw lightning could be seen in the distance. The leafless trees of the forest made it easy to see the fast approaching storm.

I surged ahead heedless of the storm. Everyone would be indoors and I'd have time to myself. My mother would no doubt worry, but I could take care of myself. I knew these trees. I grew up here.

I stumbled slightly as I neared my destination and I almost dropped the object I was carrying under my coat. Stuffing it hastily back under my arm, I forged onwards. I couldn't let anything happen to it.

As the first raindrops began to pelt around me, I found what I was looking for; a small burrow in the base of a tree which was large enough to fit me comfortably. I guess something large had lived in it at some point, but it had long been abandoned. I slipped inside as the clouds let loose.

The rain created a smooth pattering sound on the dry dirt floor of the dark forest as I settled in my burrow. No one would bother me here. It was better I look at this in private.

I removed a small chest from the inside of my coat and placed it on the ground before me. It was made of simple wood sanded smooth and painted in a cherry finish. There was a small latch which looked like it might have sported a lock as some point, but it had long vanished.

Glancing out into the storm briefly, I flip the latch and opened the chest.

Several old papers sat on the very top. I picked them up and they crinkled slightly. In the dim light, I could barely make out the handwriting, but I read my mother's name on the top. A swift scan showed them to be by a name starting with a large R. The rest of the name was impossible to make out with the style of writing and the dim light. I'd have to read them later. They had to be important if my mother had warned me to never to touch this chest.

I placed them inside the lid of the chest to keep them off the ground and picked up the next items that presented themselves to me.

They looked like several differently coloured spray bottles one might use for cleaning the kitchen counters or spraying mist onto plants in a greenhouse. I stared at them in confusion. They looked familiar but I couldn't quite place where. It was clear they were probably as old as the papers which had been placed on top of them.

I shifted them aside and placed them in the lid too before I lifted out a horseshoe-shaped magnet. It was mostly gray with one tip red and the other blue. There was something that looked like it could be a claw or a fang and it had several nicks taken out of it. A small bag of silvery powder joined the objects on top of the papers, as did an ordinary spoon with a major bend in it. Each of the objects was interesting, but the next one made me catch my breath.

A bolt of lightning struck somewhere nearby and thunder shook the ground as I lifted the sphere out of the chest. I almost dropped it both in shock at what I was holding and surprise from the lightning strike.

I stared at what I held in my hand.

This couldn't be right! They had all been destroyed!

I gawked at the ball I held. It was split in two by a thick black band with a white button in the middle. The bottom half was white and the top half appeared to be a deep purple colour. It had two pinky-purple spots on the top and a small letter M just above the button.

I stared at the Poké Ball I held. These things had been destroyed since Team Plasma decreed all Pokémon to be liberated and the Poké Ball rendered useless. They were devices for torturing and enslaving Pokémon. Why would my mother be hiding one?

A roar of thunder made me jump and swiftly gape into the clearing as lightning blazed again and something landed just beside the tree I was sheltering in. It staggered slightly before it collapsed into the mud.

Before I could stop myself, I ran out into the rain and to the creature's side.

It was mostly yellow with pale black patches on its legs and sides almost resembling jagged stripes. It looked almost like a picture I'd seen somewhere of a large wildcat. It had a flowing purple-gray cape-like mane draped halfway along its back. The tail looked like lightning and sparks in a pale blue colour and it had more pale blue fur for its whiskers. It had a dark gray crest on the top of its head and long white fangs which loomed just passed its chin.

I stared at it heedless of the rain drenching me. It stared back at me with bright, intelligent, red eyes and growled softly at my approach before its head dropped to the ground in a groan of pain.

I felt a welling of emotion in the center of my chest. This had to be a Pokémon! I hadn't seen one since I was a very young child. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen a Pokémon. This creature was magnificent! It was also injured.

I had to do something to help it and quickly.

It was obviously going to be too heavy for me to lift properly, and where would I take it to take care of it? As far as I was aware, Pokémon centers don't exist anymore so I couldn't just take it somewhere to heal it. I'd be accused of hurting it myself and I didn't want to know what the members of Team Plasma would do to me then.

I glanced at the ball in my hand. I'd forgotten it in my rush to discover this Pokémon. I wrinkled my nose in disgust as I considered the option. I didn't want to trap this Pokémon, but I couldn't move it otherwise. It would be easier to move around if I got it inside this ball. I just had to make sure Team Plasma didn't catch me with it. I'd let this tiger-like Pokémon go once it was fully healed. That would be the right thing to do.

It continued staring at me with its apprehensive red eyes. It persisted in trying to move, but couldn't seem to get its feet under it to lift itself off the ground.

"I'm sorry," I murmured softly. "Forgive me."

With reluctance, I threw the purple and white ball in a slow under-handed toss at the yellow and white Pokémon. In a flash of red light, the Pokémon was drawn into the ball. It landed softly in the mud where the Pokémon had lain. It lurched a couple times until the red light on the button of the ball faded with a slight 'ding' sound.

I slowly lifted the ball off the ground and brought it up to face level.

"I'll let you go once you feel better," I muttered softly to the Pokémon within.

I closed my eyes as the ball shrank in my hand to the size of a large marble. I slipped it into the inside pocket of my jacket without looking at it.

I stood in the rain for a long while. I need to find some place where I can get help for the magnificent creature I'd just captured.

"Hey!" yelled a voice from behind me.

I swiftly turned in the direction of the voice and was knocked off my feet by something resembling a brown and tan dog with black fur on its back. It pounced on my chest and growled into my face.

 _"Herd. Herdier! Rrrrrrr."_

"Kid!" yelled the same voice as a man in the armor of a Team Plasma grunt approached me. I couldn't go anywhere due to the dog-like Pokémon pinning me down.

"Y-yes?" I gasped in wide eyes. I was so scared I couldn't think.

"Kid," repeated the grunt. "Tell me where the Raikou went! We know it went in this direction. I bet you saw it."

Ignoring the growling dog on top of me, I took as deep a breath as I could muster. The way this guy was ordering me around made me angry, but I knew I couldn't afford to get into trouble with him. He had a Pokémon pinning me down and all I had was an injured … whatever that Pokémon was, in a Poké Ball that was in no condition to be battling.

"W-what?" I asked as calmly as I could muster.

"We were taking it to a safe location so it would be safely kept away from those who might try to capture it," replied a female voice as a lady in similar, if slightly feminine, armor as the man. "You understand our concern that it got away from us, sweetie."

There was something in her look and her voice I immediately distrusted. A slight gleam of irritation and the hint of crossed smugness set me on edge. The dog on my chest growled deeper at me.

"So," she continued as she stopped a few steps away from my face. "Where's the Raikou, sweetie?"

"I don't know," I said with enough hesitation so it seemed like I wasn't challenging them. "I don't even know what you're looking for."

Both grunts were silent as the dog continued growling at me.

"Country Bumpkin," scoffed the male grunt. "An uneducated one at that."

"I can believe that, sweetie," replied the lady. "He's not worth our time. We need to catch that Raikou before it gets away."

"Herdier!" exclaimed the man. "Come! Let's keep after it!"

 _"Herd herd!"_ barked the Pokémon as it leaped off me and bounded into the woods from the opposite direction it had appeared from.

The man hurried after it without a second glance at me. The woman hesitated for a second as she stared down at me with a half disgusted smirk.

"Be sure to alert the proper Plasma authorities if you see any strange Pokémon, sweetie."

She too left in a hurry without any motion to help me up.

It took me a long while of staring up into the black clouds as the storm drew to a close before I could sit up.

I patted my jacket and heaved a sigh of relief when I felt that the ball was still there. I knew one thing for sure. I wasn't going to let those people get their hands on this Pokémon. I needed to protect it until I could get it back into proper health and release it so it could be completely free and far away from Team Plasma.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Um, Mom?" I called into the house as I entered through the front door. There was no point in trying to be sneaky anymore, not with me being as filthy as I was. She was sure to follow the muddy trail straight into the bathroom. "I'm home."

"Christopher Alexander Juniper!" growled my mother as she came storming down the stairs. Her light brown hair might as well been the storm for the slight gray starting to poke through and the mess it was in. "What happened? Where have you been?! That was one of the worst lightning storms we've had in a long time. You've had me so worried!"

I glanced away and stared at the book case beside the door. It was full of random cook books and other boring leather bound volumes.

"You keep me in a constant state of worry with all that wandering off you do!" she continued as she stopped a few steps before me. She was still slightly taller than me, but barely, so I didn't have to look up at her anymore. "I never know if I'm going to have to come after you or if that Team Plasma has gotten to you or … Why are you so filthy?"

I shifted my weight in discomfort. She was definitely going to hate what I might have to say to her about the Pokémon, but I needed to tell her. We needed to get help for it.

"Um," I started without looking at her. I moved my arm slightly and the chest tucked under it fell to the ground and scattered its contents across the blue rug in the entry way.

For the span of about ten seconds, she stared at the mess of random objects and papers splayed on the ground. With slow, deliberate hesitation, she knelt and began gathering the objects carefully.

"I," I started as I still couldn't look directly at her out of shame.

"Bathtub," she said in a soft, quiet voice. "Shoes off."

I slowly kicked off my shoes and left them behind as I hurried up the stairs to the bathroom. I knew the routine. I spread out a towel and swiftly dumped my soiled clothing onto it to be gathered for laundry. My mother would leave clean clothes just outside the door for when I was done. I'd come home dirty and wet before, but nowhere near this bad. Then again, I haven't had a dog Pokémon pinning me into the mud before either.

I removed the ball from my green jacket and set it on the counter next to the sink. I'd tell my mother about the Pokémon when I was clean and she had a little time to cool down.

I took my time in the tub and made sure every part of me was completely scrubbed. I had a towel around me when I went to the door.

"Chris," said my mother as she stood there with clean clothing in her arms.

"Ye-aaaaahhh!" I yelped as I jumped back and almost lost my towel. I hadn't been expecting her to be waiting out there for me. I just managed to maintain a hold of it and remain decent. "What?!"

She stared at me with a neutral glare as she crossed her arms with my clothing in between them. "What did you do with the Master Ball?"

"Master … ball?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. It hit me as I shot a glance at the purple and white ball sitting beside the sink. My eyebrows shot into my hair line as I turned back to my mother in horror.

She blinked her green eyes slowly and leveled me with a stare. "What did you catch? You know you're not allowed to use it! Have grandpa and I taught you nothing?! You can't catch Pokémon! Team Plasma made sure of it!"

"I didn't want to!" I yelled before I hushed my voice. "I had to help it. It's injured. Team Plasma showed up after I caught it and I could tell they were going to hurt it if I told them I'd caught it! I'm pretty sure they are the ones who hurt it before. I'm going to let it go once it's back to full health and can fend for itself."

Her glare remained neutral, which was starting to creep me out more than if she'd been yelling at me. She seemed way too calm for my liking.

"What did you catch?" she asked softly.

"I'm not sure," I muttered as I crossed the bathroom to the sink and snatched up the ball. It grew in my hand until it was roughly the size of an orange. "Maybe I should just show you. I know there are a lot of different kinds, but I've never seen any of them face to face before."

"Not here," said my mother as her green eyes darted swiftly over her shoulder. She handed me my clean clothing. "Get dressed. Take your dirty clothes to the laundry and then we'll talk in the cellar."

She shut the door behind her before I could reply. I swiftly did as I was told. Once I was decent and the laundry was seen to, I brought the white and purple ball down into the dimly lit cellar.

"You have it?" asked my mother softly.

"Yes," I replied in a similar whisper although I wasn't sure why we were speaking in hushes tones. "Let it out here?"

"No!" she replied. "Not yet."

She pushed lightly against the side of one of the shelves and it slid forward and to the side. I was left gaping unattractively at the hole in the wall to the passage behind.

"How long has that been there and why haven't I found it sooner?" I asked softly.

"Come," she said quietly.

She led the way and I followed her in. The shelf slid shut behind me, but my mother didn't seem concerned. It was as though she'd been down here often. The short tunnel was dimly lit, but lit nonetheless. We swiftly left the tunnel and stepped into a bright room lit by three oil lamps.

This room too had shelves. A swift glance showed most of them to have books with titles relating to different Pokémon. Some had some old looking equipment. There was a bed covered with a red blanket in one of the rugged corners. There was a small desk as well.

"What is this place?" I asked in hushed tones.

"All that remains of what I had before Team Plasma won," said my mother in a hesitant tone. Her green eyes betrayed hurt and regret. "They took almost everything, including my …" She gasped softly, "this is all I could save … You can let your Pokémon out now. We'll heal it here as best we can."

I stared at her in utter silence. "Uh, how do I do that?"

My mother sighed in agitation to herself. She grumbled something inaudible which definitely included the word 'Plasma' several times.

"Okay," she said as she stuffed aside her irritation. She began talking to me in a tone she usually reserved for teaching in a classroom setting. "All you do is throw the ball gently and command the Pokémon you caught to come out. It will come out at your call."

Feeling rather foolish, I tossed the ball lightly into the air. "Um, you can come out now?"

In a flash of bright white light, the muddy yellow tiger appeared in the middle of the room as I caught the now empty ball. It stared at me intensely for several long moments while my mother gasped. It took a shaky step towards me before it collapsed. My mother rushed to its side and it growled weakly at her.

"Shhhh," she hushed it softly. It continued to growl at her. "Shhhh. I'm not going to hurt you. Chris, talk to it. You caught it; you are its trainer. It will listen to you."

"I-" I started, softly. "I don't know what to say …"

At the sound of my voice, the feline Pokémon turned its head slowly towards me and stopped growling. It gazed at me with bright red eyes.

"Come here and keep talking," murmured my mother as she began to gently rub the creature's neck.

"I don't want to be its trainer," I mumbled and gazed at the floor. "I didn't even want to catch it! I was protecting it! I needed to get it help. Team Plasma was after it."

"And in catching this Raikou to save it and help it, you gained its respect," said my mother as she rushed to one of the shelves and removed several towels and pasty white bandages. "I need your help cleaning it and bandaging it."

"A Raikou?" I asked hesitantly as I knelt beside the cat Pokémon and placed a hand gently on the top of its head. A soft rumbling sound could be heard as I scratched under its chin with the other. "That's what the Plasma lady said they were after … What kind of Pokémon is that?"

"Raikou are not common here," said my mother absently as she passed me a towel and immediately began to gently rub off the mud with one of her own. "They come from a different region. Not much is known about them. They supposedly carry storm clouds on their back. They are the lightning type of the legendary beast trio."

"Wait," I paused in cleaning up the Raikou's face and head. "Legendary?!"

The Pokémon grumbled slightly until I began absently cleaning it again.

"Yes," replied my mother gently. "Based on how long the cape-like mane on its back is and on the short , dull saber-like teeth it has, I'd say this Pokémon is rather young. I've never come across any Legendaries so young before. I don't know how strong it is, or what moves it has learned."

"It's just a baby?" I asked as I gazed at it in awe.

"Yes," replied my mother. "Well, young adolescence if you will. It's in the middle of its teen years if we compare it to a human."

"Oh," I muttered softly as I continued to clean it gently "So it could easily fend for itself on its own then."

"If it was in full health," added my mother as she set aside her defiled towel and began examining it using gentle prods here and there. The young Pokémon hissed and growled at her several times. "I don't think anything is broken, but I'm sure there is spraining on its legs. You'll need to keep it safe for several days before it will be able to walk on its own. We don't have the facilities to take care of injured Pokémon anymore."

"How do you know all this?" I asked as I kept my gaze locked on Raikou's gentle red stare.

"I was a professor before Team Plasma won," replied my mother with a distant look as she wrapped a white bandage around the Pokémon's back leg. "I made it my job to learn everything I could about the origins of Pokémon and where they came from. I had to learn ways to treat them as well. I loved my job. I wish I could get it back."

"Wow," I said softly. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

My mother hesitated. "Help me lift this young Raikou onto the bed."

I reached under the Pokémon's chest and lifted its front half gently. My mother lifted its rear and we gently maneuvered it until it was comfortable on the bed. It licked me on the face as we put it down.

My sputtering caused my mother to laugh. "Looks like Raikou has accepted you as a new friend."

"I'm grateful," I grumbled.

I watched the Pokémon as it rested its head on its paws. It looked comfortable sprawled on the red blanket draped across the bed.

"I suggest you rest here tonight with Raikou," said my mother as she gathered the towels and headed for the exit. "I'll explain more on what a trainer used to be like in the morning."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I was still quite asleep when I turned and my face brushed up against something very warm and very soft. I moaned slightly and would have fallen into a deeper slumber had it not been for what followed. I was rudely woken up by something big and rough scraping the skin off my cheeks.

"Ow! Stop! I'm up!" I yelped while still half asleep. If this continued I wouldn't have any face left.

Slight rumbling could be felt through the bed as the rough object continued its rigorous rhythm. I reached in the direction it was coming from. My hand met something soft and unyielding as I gently tried to push it away. I pushed a bit harder and the nerves all over my body lit up with pain as though someone had flipped a switch to turn it on. It lasted several seconds before I was forcefully thrown from the bed.

"Ouchy," I mumbled weakly. I couldn't stop my body from twitching while I gazed up at the ceiling.

A large yellow and white face with slight black and blue on it entered my field of vision the same time I became aware of the snickering. I swear that face looked like it was smiling happily at me.

"What's so funny?" I grumbled. I tried to push myself off the ground and was met with the rough tongue on my face again.

"You've never been on the receiving end of a Thundershock before," replied my mother with a grin once she was able to stop laughing at me.

"That hurt!" I growled as I glared at the tiger Pokémon standing over me. "Never do that again!"

The tiger whimpered softly and shied away at my harsh tone.

"Chris!" snapped my mother as all jollity left her. "That Raikou is little more than a baby. It doesn't know any better. I've never had the chance to study one, but being an electric-type Pokémon I wouldn't doubt they use minor shocks and such for affection. Don't yell at it. It may not be able to understand your words, but it understands the tone of your voice and they seem to react to a trainer's emotions very well too."

I stared at the Raikou as it approached me slowly. It nuzzled my hand and then began rumbling deeply in its chest as I started to pet the top of its head.

"Just don't yell at it when you get angry," continued my mother. "They have feelings too, and I don't think this Pokémon knows how to use the move Roar yet."

"Roar?" I asked softly with a raised eyebrow.

The Raikou opened its mouth wide and made a cute growling sound.

"You know that Pokémon have certain moves they can use," stated my mother.

She would know. She taught our local school and me. Although, our subject on Pokémon had been unsatisfyingly short.

"Yeah," I replied with slight sarcasm. "We learned quite a bit about them. In fact, I don't even know what kinds of moves they can use."

My mother got out of the chair she was sitting in and began rummaging through the items sitting on the shelves. "That is hardly my fault, so don't take that tone with me. I know I have at least one I managed to save. Where is it?! I put it somewhere around here!"

I watched my mother as she began shoving through the various objects. Finally, she pulled out something small, rectangular and red and black. She handed it to me.

"What is this?" I asked hesitantly.

"It's a Pokédex," she replied softly. "Press the white button to turn it on. It will tell you about any Pokémon you come across and meet. You can try it out on your Raikou."

"Like this?" I asked hesitantly.

I tapped the white button in uncertain hesitation. The top cover of the Pokédex slid back and a second screen was revealed. They both lit up as I stared at it.

"It's twenty years old as we're not allowed to carry one or work on updating them," replied my mother somberly. "It will automatically update and bring the info you need to light when you meet a new Pokémon."

At her words, a calm female voice emitted from the device as a picture of a Raikou was displayed on the topmost screen.

-"Raikou, the Thunder Pokémon. It is said to have fallen with lightning. It can fire thunderbolts from the rainclouds on its back."-

I continued to stare at the device. "Um … Okay. This guy certainly came down in a lightning bolt in front of me."

"That Pokédex will also tell you anything you need to know about attacks and how certain Pokémon will evolve," replied my mother. "You'll need these as well."

She handed me a whole bunch of what looked like differently coloured spray bottles. "Those are potion bottles. The purple are regular Potions and will heal the Pokémon slightly, the burgundy ones are Super Potions and the pink one is a Hyper Potion. Save them and use them sparingly. If your Raikou gets hurt, rest in the Master Ball will help in most cases, but for something serious use the Potions."

She took the bottles from me and stuffed them into a knapsack. Next, she handed me several of the objects that I'd noted in the chest.

"That is a Dragon Fang," she said as I examined the notched-looking tooth again. "It will power up the moves of a Dragon type Pokémon. That spoon is a Twisted Spoon. Give it to a Psychic type to make their abilities stronger. That bright powder in the bag is called Silver Powder. Sprinkle it on a Bug type Pokémon for extra power for them. Same goes for the Magnet, but for Electric types. In fact, why don't you give it to Raikou to hold onto right now?"

She packed the rest of the items as I hesitated with the horseshoe magnet in my hand.

"Um, okay." I turned towards the yellow feline. "What do you say? Do you want to hold onto this magnet?"

The Raikou mumbled happily and rubbed against my hand affectionately.

"I'll take that as a yes," I mumbled. "Um, where do I put this thing?"

"Here," said my mother softly. "Put it on its back under its cape-like mane. It will stay there until you remove it."

I did as I was told and the tiger Pokémon rumbled happily in its chest. It licked my face again before I could get out of range.

"Gah!" I exclaimed. "You're going to be doing that a lot aren't you?!"

The Raikou closed its eyes and rubbed against my hand.

"Here's the bag," said my mother as she put it on me. "You need to meet grandpa in Accumula Town. It shouldn't take more than a day for you to get there. He'll tell you what you need to do next. We've been waiting twenty years for this. You'll find help when you need it. Grandpa Cedric will give you the details."

I stared at her. "I'm leaving?"

"Yes," she replied. "You caught Raikou and if you don't leave now, Team Plasma will be knocking down our door and they will find it. I won't allow you to be taken by them; not like how they took your father away from me. He stood up to them and I haven't seen him again. I don't know what they did to him. I was lucky to find where he'd stashed his items. You have them now. They are better off being used by you."

It felt like the floor was caving out from under me. I didn't want to leave.

"Can you come with me?" I asked softly.

"No," she replied as she brushed some of her messy hair out of her green eyes. "I'd look too suspicious leaving. I need to stay here. You'll have that Raikou. Keep it with you and it will protect you. Take care of it and help it grow stronger. The Pokémon surrounding our town were cleaned out by Team Plasma, but I'm willing to bet you can find some if you travel to the most desolate regions of Unova."

She snatched a small case with a zipper from off the wall. She placed it in the bag.

"I'm giving you some Pokéballs so you can catch some more companions for your journey," my mother said. "You need to leave before the sun rises completely."

"But I can't take those Pokéballs!" I exclaimed. "I can't hurt the Pokémon."

"Capturing them doesn't hurt them," said my mother darkly. "If you treat them with kindness and compassion, you aren't hurting them. Those are Team Plasma lies so they could rule Unova. They don't want anyone with Pokémon to be able to become strong enough to challenge them."

"I don't want to go."

"I know," she replied as she held me in a gentle hug. "But you must. Grandpa will be waiting for you."

She pressed a book into my hands. It was small and had a dark blue leather cover. I flipped open a page to find it was empty. It was a book with blank pages.

"I want you to keep a journal," my mother said softly. "You don't know where you might end up travelling so you should keep a careful account of everything that happens and everything you do."

I sighed and hung my head. "I suppose."

"You're sixteen years old. There really isn't anything for you here," she continued. "I believe you need to travel and find out what your purpose in this life is for yourself."

I silently tucked the book into the bag. I swung it onto my shoulders when a thought occurred to me. I felt my cheeks get rather warm.

"Uh, how do I get Raikou to return to the Master Ball?"

My mother sighed heavily. "Take the ball and point the white button at Raikou and command it to return. It will go back into the ball for rest and easy transport. Be careful you don't lose it."

"Oh," I muttered as I picked up the Master Ball from on the desk where I'd put it. "Okay. Do I always have to have Raikou in the ball?"

"No," she replied. "But you really don't want Team Plasma to come across you with Raikou. Pokéballs are easier to conceal. Do you want them to hurt that Raikou more?"

"No," I answered softly. "I don't."

My mother hugged me again. "Think of it this way. Until someone manages to rise up and defeat Team Plasma, you need to use this ball to protect Raikou. Think of the Pokéballs as a way to keep Team Plasma from hurting any of the Pokémon you decide to protect. You know they were after Raikou and probably hurt it before. Keep it safe."

I closed my eyes and tensed my muscles before I sighed a let everything relax. I raised the Master Ball until it was aimed at the Raikou.

"Raikou, return," I muttered softly. There was a flash of red light and the Pokémon was gone. "I promise I'll keep you safe."

"Time for you to go before the day starts and Team Plasma gets here searching for this Pokémon," said my mother as she kissed me softly on the cheek.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A swift breakfast later and I was out the door and travelling through the forest path. Not that there was much to the forest. Even in the sunlight and the middle of summer, the trees were just as leafless at they'd always been. I don't ever remember seeing anything but the skeletons of old trees which wouldn't grow even a single leaf.

I held the Pokédex my mother had given me in my hand as I walked in silence. It was still showing Raikou on the upper screen with the description on the lower one.

I couldn't believe what I'd wandered into. Somehow, within the action of opening a chest I was told not to open, I now had an injured Pokémon to look after and I was unable to return home anytime soon.

I didn't want this. I was quite happy helping my mother. I wasn't cut out for travelling. I remembered almost everything she'd taught me as I grew and her lessons to the younger children when I was old enough to help, but none of that included taking care of Pokémon. We knew that there were at least 600 known kinds before Team Plasma took over Unova , but all activity surrounding them halted with King N's victory over the Hero.

I didn't know the first thing about Pokémon, and that worried me. How was I supposed to look after the Raikou when I didn't even know what it ate?

My mother had mentioned something about berries on my way out the door, but I didn't know where to find any. Nothing fertile grew anywhere near my home town of Nuvema. It hadn't for years. I could barely remember a time when the trees were green instead of barren.

I didn't want to fail to help the Raikou get to full health before I let it go back into the wild.

What am I supposed to do next?

I'm supposed to meet Gramps in Accumula Town, but where my path went from there I had no idea. I knew I would try to get the Raikou up to full health first, and then let it go. After that, I should be able to go home and return to helping my mother.

I stopped by the curving edge of a calm river. Just beyond it, in the distance, I could just make out a brief glint of the ocean I knew was the area. Geography and maps had been a strong point in school so I wasn't worried about being too lost. I knew I was about halfway to my destination.

The sun was reaching its highest point when I came across a bit of a clearing with a grassy patch and a cliff view overlooking the ocean in the distance. I took off the bag my mother had given me and placed it on the ground beside me. With several furtive glances around, I took out the Master Ball and tossed it into the air.

"Come out, Raikou," I muttered softly.

In a flash of bright white light, the yellow tiger Pokémon came out and stretched in the sunlight. I caught the ball as it returned to me and tucked it back into the inner pocket of my jacket.

The Pokémon still looked slightly battered and wore the bandages my mother had tended it with, but the determined, happy gleam in its red eyes told me it was feeling better. The injuries certainly didn't stop it from rubbing up against my legs with a loud rumble in its chest.

"Well," I said softly. "Being trapped in that ball doesn't seem to bother you."

 _"Rair"_ rumbled the Pokémon happily.

"In fact," I mumbled as my eyebrows scrunched together. "You seem much happier than before."

I was rewarded by having both paws placed on my chest followed by a strong, rough tongue attempt to scrape my cheek off.

"Gah!" I yelped loudly.

I lost my balance and found myself on my back with the young Pokémon settled on my chest. I could have sworn the rumbling in its chest was growing louder.

"You little rascal!" I exclaimed as I gently pushed it off of me so I could sit up. The Pokémon didn't put up too much of a fight against that, but rather, stayed sprawled across my legs.

I rolled my eyes. "You're not going to let me up anytime soon are you?"

The yellow tiger glanced up at me and continued its gentle rumbling in its chest. It closed its eyes as I began to scratch under its chin. I could almost swear it was smiling.

"You really like that," I commented in awe and wonder. "You don't mind being with me. I promise to set you free once I'm sure that Plasma won't be able to get their hands on you."

 _"Rair?"_ The Pokémon tilted its head and gazed at me in something resembling concern.

My stomach chose that moment to remind me that breakfast had been a while away. The yellow tiger glanced down at it and batted gently at my belly with a paw. I laughed as I pulled off my back pack and started riffling through it. I knew my mother had packed a lunch in there somewhere.

I pulled out a slightly squashed sandwich and started munching on it. The Raikou stared at me with wide red eyes as I ate.

I swallowed quickly. "I bet you're hungry too."

The young Pokémon glanced down. _"Rair …"_

"Hmmm," I mumbled as I absently took another bite and placed my free hand on top of its head. "Mother mentioned berries. Would you happen to know where I can find some?"

It scrunched its eyes slightly and tilted its head to the side in a look of contemplation. It sniffed a few times before it laid its head across my legs with a disappointed moan.

 _'Rrrmmm …"_

I pet the top of its head gently. "It's okay. I'm sure Gramps with have some around, or he'll know where to get some for you. I'll make sure I get you some."

It rubbed its head against my hand affectionately with its eyes closed. I finished my sandwich as I gazed at the young Pokémon in wonder.

"I …" I started hesitantly. The Raikou glanced up at me. "I don't think the ball is hurting you."

The Pokémon continued to gaze at me with soft red eyes.

I bit my lower lip as troubled thoughts began to take shape.

"So," said a calm voice which sent an instant chill down my spine. The Raikou sprawled across my legs growled deep within its chest as it focused on the speaker behind me. "You lied to us, Sweetie, and you committed the most horrendous crime imaginable. You caught a Pokémon."

I turned to meet the eyes of the two Plasma members who had confronted me in the storm the previous day. The Raikou slowly got to its feet as it continued to growl.

 _"Rairrrrrrrrrrr!"_

"That's the Raikou," exclaimed the male Team Plasma grunt. "We will take care of it from here."

I got to my feet and stared as the electric Pokémon placed itself between me and the two Plasmas. As it continued to growl at them, I began to feel a tingly feeling as the hair all over my body began to stand on end.

"I …" I hesitated. "No."

"Excuse me?" said the Plasma woman in a tone that indicated that she was used to being obeyed.

"I said 'no,'" I repeated as I took a few steps forwards to stand at the yellow Pokémon's shoulder. "I'm not letting you take care of Raikou. You're the ones who probably hurt it when it was escaping from you in the first place, so no. I'll release it once it is fully recovered and can look after itself, but I will protect it from you."

The woman smirked. "You're both coming with us. You broke the law, and now you're going to suffer the consequences. The Raikou will be taken to a safe place where it will never be captured again, and you will suffer a public humiliation before a long visit to our dungeon to think about the pain you've inflicted with that Pokéball."

"Herdier!" exclaimed the man at the end of her proclamation. "Go get them!"

He hefted a red and white Pokéball into the air and the dog Pokémon which had pinned me to the ground before erupted from it in a flash of white light.

 _"Herd. Herdier!"_

 _"Rair! Rrrrrrr."_

"Hey!" I yelped in shock. "You guys use Pokéballs to trap the Pokémon who help you?!"

"What of it?" asked the man. "Team Plasma rules Unova , so we get to make the rules."

"Stop wasting your breath and get him, Sweetie," sighed the woman as she leaned against the closest barren tree. "We were supposed to have finished transporting that Pokémon yesterday."

I took a deep breath and looked down at the Pokémon beside me. "Are you ready to show these two that we're not going with them?"

The Raikou let a spark slither along its cloud-like mane in reply is it glared at the Herdier racing towards us.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Herdier!" snapped the Plasma Man as the brown and black sheepdog-like Pokémon rushed towards us. "Use Bite!"

"Look out!" I yelped, and leaped aside as the dog approached with its mouth open wide.

The Raikou didn't move, but faced down the approaching Pokémon. The Herdier clamped its teeth on the young Raikou's front leg and tore into the bandage carefully wrapped around it.

The Raikou let out a shriek of pain which chilled me to the bone. It was pure pain and I never wanted to hear that sound come from the Pokémon ever again.

The dog Pokémon let go of the Raikou and bounded back to stand beside its trainer. The bandage on Raikou's front leg was in tatters and it was favoring it heavily.

I scrambled to the Pokémon's side. "I'm sorry," I mumbled as I placed an arm on its neck.

I realized my mistake.

The implications that I knew nothing about how to battle were crashing down on top of me. I didn't know what attacks Raikou knew. I didn't know how to get it to move out of the way. I was supposed to be nursing it back to health, not hurting it more. I knew only one thing for sure. I was not going to let them have this Raikou if it was the last thing I did.

"Ha," barked the female Plasma grunt. "Sweetie, doesn't even know how to battle. Not our fault … or maybe it is." She shrugged with the air of indifference.

"Herdier," commanded the man. "Use Take Down!"

The dog-like Pokémon charged at us again. This time, although I wanted to leap aside, I stood my ground and guarded the Raikou. I braced for impact and was hit in the stomach by the dog's shoulder. I was thrown backwards into the Pokémon I had been guarding as pain exploded within my torso.

We collapsed into a pile and I felt a jolt go through my body and my muscles seized up. Probably a mistake on the yellow Pokémon's behalf, but it made me remember the first time I'd received that particular feeling earlier that morning. My mother had used a name for it … what had she called it again?! The pain wasn't helping me remember.

The Herdier bounded away from us as I struggled to my knees. Even if breathing was getting hard, I wasn't going to give up.

"Raikou?" I asked as I met its eyes. I could tell it was in pain, but there was something else there that I couldn't quite identify. Something new and wonderful. Something I hadn't seen before. "I'm sorry for not being a trainer, but I promise I will use my last breath defending you if I need to. They'll have to go through me first to get to you."

"How touching," remarked the woman as she shifted in her weight to her other leg and examined her fingernails. "Finish him off, Sweetie."

"With pleasure," said the man. "Herdier. Thunder Fang, go!"

The air crackled loudly and a curious smell permeated the area. The Herdier opened its mouth wide again and charged me. I closed my eyes and braced for the worst as best I could. I would take this blow, and if it was the last one, then at least I could do it protecting this young Raikou.

I was hit, but not from the front. My eyes flew wide open as I lurched sideways. I could see the brown and black dog Pokémon streak past me, barely missing. As I landed sprawled on my side, it fastened its fangs on the Raikou's front leg again.

The yellow Pokémon cried out again in the beginnings of pain as it made eye contact with me. I continued to watch as the look of pain evolved into a look of confusion, and then one of amazement. Its red eyes changed into a glare of anger as it stood up straighter and growled at the enemies. Most of the wounds around its fur were starting to close before my eyes. Somehow, Raikou was miraculously being healed!

I glanced at the Team Plasma members and they didn't appear to have expected this. The man had his mouth open and the woman was no longer leaning against the tree in a pose of boredom; her back was rigid.

The Raikou continued to glare at the Herdier clamped on its leg. The yellow tiger-like Pokémon opened its mouth and clamped down on the dog's back. The Herdier yelped and let go. Raikou flung it back towards the two Plamsa members.

"Hmmm," said the woman in calm indifference. "It has the Hidden Ability Volt Absorb. That makes it even rarer than before."

"Herdier," commanded the man. "Use -"

Whatever he was planning to have the Pokémon use, was interrupted as the Raikou yowled loudly and a single bolt of lightning shot from its cape just behind its neck and struck the sheepdog-like Pokémon on the head. The dog yelped loudly and collapsed to the ground with a twitch.

"How?!" exclaimed the man in outrage. "He beat me!"

"Hardly," replied the woman as she uncrossed her arms. "Recall your defeated weakling and let me finish him off."

The man scowled and pointed his Pokéball at the twitching Herdier as tendrils of smoke rose from its dark fur. In a flash of red light, the defeated Pokémon vanished.

"Go," stated the woman calmly as she tossed a ball that was blue and red on top and white on the bottom into the air.

There was a flash of white light and a dark purple Pokémon with amber spots all over its fur appeared before us. It looked like a big cat, just a bit bigger than Raikou, but its demeanour was nothing like the young tiger.

There was something in its green eyes and posture that I immediately didn't trust. This Pokémon was conniving. It would probably attack you while you were too busy admiring it and then be done with you once it stole all it could. Either way, it was working with the woman, and I didn't like her either.

 _"Lieparrrrrrrrrd."_

I managed to get to my knees beside the Raikou. "You think you can take this thing on?" I asked softly.

It continued to glare at the other cat with a low growl.

 _"Rrrrrrrr."_

"Liepard," said the woman in a strong commanding voice. "Shadow Ball."

The purple cat opened its mouth and darkness formed in front of it. It swirled with a glowing purple hue before the Pokémon released it directly at Raikou.

It struck the yellow Pokémon head on, and the Raikou yelped in pain before it shook off the attack and continued to glare at the Plasma members.

"It's going to be a very short battle since you don't know any of Raikou's moves," taunted the woman. "Liepard, Scratch."

I held my breath as the purple cat bounded straight for my Raikou with its claws extended. I remembered my mother mentioning only two moves, but I couldn't remember the name of one. The other was one Raikou apparently didn't know. The Liepard was getting closer and I had to do something.

"ROAR!" I bellowed as loud as I could.

The Raikou inhaled deeply and opened its mouth as the Liepard landed in front of it. The purple Pokémon raised its paws in preparation to strike.

 _"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIR!"_

A blast of noise, which sounded very much like a clap of thunder, erupted from the young Pokémon's mouth. I could even feel the sound through the ground beneath me.

The Liepard was hit in the face with the force of the move. Its green eyes widened in shock and fear. Its fur stood on end and it screeched in protest. I didn't hear its shriek over Raikou's roar, but I could tell it was making one. It turned tail and ran straight past the two grunts and deeper into the forest.

The man and woman turned in anger and alarm and ran after the fleeing Pokémon as well. The noise Raikou was making was hitting them directly. From beside the Raikou, I could tell the sound was so loud I could feel it in the center of my chest, and that was with it being aimed away from me.

The yellow Pokémon's roar died down and it closed its mouth as it stopped. I continued to stare in bewilderment at the trees the Plasma members had run away into.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I slowly turned to look at the young Raikou standing next to me with my mouth hanging open. It was staring into the barren forest with the same look of bewildered awe; as if it couldn't quite believe what had happened.

It took me a little while to actually find my voice again.

"I thought my mother said you didn't know that move!"

 _"Rair?"_ The Pokémon looked at me with wide eyes.

"That was amazing!" I said while shaking my head in awe. "Who knew you would be able to do that?!"

 _"Rair …"_

The Raikou sat down and dropped its head. It was almost like it was trying to make itself smaller; like it was embarrassed by the praise.

"You don't have to be so modest," I said as I gently placed a hand on top of its head. "You defeated those Plasma people by roaring at them. They were going to try and hurt us and you scared them away."

The yellow tiger Pokémon closed its eyes and rubbed its head against my arm and chest in affection. The tongue came out as quick as lightning and scraped across my face.

I would have retorted, but I fell back with a wince of pain. Now that the immediate threat of Team Plasma had run away, the pain from the attack I'd intercepted from the dog Pokémon had come rushing back.

I could move my toes, so I knew my spine wasn't broken, but beyond that, I wasn't sure what kind of damage I'd received. It was quite the hit I took to my stomach area. My head was starting to pound severely and dark spots were beginning to swim across my vision.

The Raikou eyed me with concern as I gasped softly. The last thing I saw as I fell into darkness was its large worried eyes.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Easy, shhhhh."

A voice wove its gentle way into the darkness I found myself suspended within. I was incapable of reacting to it much less process anything about it.

 _"Rairrrrr!"_

Whatever was going on, Raikou would protect me. I didn't doubt that.

I could rest.

It was the warmth that I noticed first when I woke up. One half of me was pleasantly warm while the other was far too cold for comfort. Whatever I was lying on was very cool as well.

The second priority was the pain. It wasn't that unbearable. It was mostly centered in my gut area and just below my ribs, but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be.

I moaned slightly and got an unexpected sheet of sandpaper scraped across my face, or at least it felt like sandpaper.

"Ugh! Hey!" I reflexively tried to sit up to get away from the rough thing attacking my face. The dull pain in my stomach flared up and made me gasp before I fell back down on my back. "Owww."

 _"Rar! … rrmmmm …"_

The moan sounded dejected and sorrowful as though it had realised it had done something wrong.

I opened my eyes to a pair of red ones gazing at me in deep concern. They looked reproachful, almost like they were expecting to be reprimanded.

"Hey you," I said gently as I managed to lift my right arm enough to scratch under its chin. "Glad to see you're okay."

The Raikou closed its eyes and rumbled deeply in its chest. I could feel the sound as it vibrated through the Pokémon's throat.

"It made sure you were protected as well," said a young female voice. "Your Raikou wouldn't let me near you until I could prove I was trustworthy."

I involuntarily jerked back in surprise and stared over at the figure sitting beside a crackling fire. I winced as the pain returned.

"If you keep doing that you're never going to heal you idiot!" she yelped at me. Within moments I felt strong hands pushing me back onto the ground. "Now lie still until I tell you you are well enough to move!"

I glared up at this young girl in suspicion. I estimated her age to be a couple years younger than myself.

"Oh quit glaring at me like that!" she grumbled as she rolled her blue eyes. "You're the stupid idiot who took that Herdier's Take Down attack. You're lucky it didn't sever your spine! I didn't have to drag you all this way to this little cave to hide you and that Raikou of yours from the search party that returned to the spot of your battle. Not only do you clearly know NOTHING about Pokémon but your Raikou refuses to return to the Master Ball you caught it with! It pops out every time I try! And I wonder why I even bother trying to help. You're better off bumbling on your way through whatever Team Plasma throws at you. Mother told me I wasn't supposed to spy on people for a reason, but after what you did to keep your Raikou safe, I couldn't leave you on your own."

I sat in somewhat stunned silence as I tried to absorb everything she was telling me. The Raikou beside me didn't look too concerned as it lay its head on my lap.

I held up a hand. "Hold on! What happened?"

She buried her fingers into her strawberry-blonde hair as she held her head in frustration. "I did it again." She exhaled swiftly and flicked her fingers out of her hair. "Mother keeps telling me I need to start with the beginning of the story instead of jumping everywhere."

"Then start with your name," I said slowly.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "It's Joleen. Joleen Joy. I feel like an idiot for not getting that out of the way first. I don't even know who you are except that you're …" She trailed off as her eyes narrowed slightly. "Never mind. What is your name?"

"Chris," I mumbled softly. She leaned in to hear me. "Juniper."

"The professor's son?" she exclaimed in excitement. "This gets better and better."

"What does?" I asked quickly. "Why would my mother be important?"

"Oh nothing," she replied as she refused to make eye contact. "I'm not supposed to say anything I'm not supposed to have heard."

I raised both eyebrows at her. She glared at me defiantly.

"Fine," I said softly and ended our staring contest first to look down at the Raikou. "I hope you'll tell me if it is important. How did you know I had a battle with Team Plasma? Or even that I caught Raikou with a Master Ball?"

"You know," she said while shrugging. "About that. People just never look up."

I stared at her. The fire beside us popped and she glanced at it.

"I was in one of the trees minding my own business until you pulled out that Master Ball and let out the Raikou," she said without looking at me. "I watched the whole battle."

"And you didn't think I could use some help at all?" I demanded. "I will shamefully admit that I know nothing about Pokémon! You clearly know more than I do. I grew up with the notion that all Pokémon had been moved out of Unova to somewhere where Team Plasma could keep them out of the temptation of the general public."

I winced and had to stop my rant as I tried to sit up and caused more pain within my torso. Raikou growled softly beside me.

"I needed to see if you were up to the challenge," she replied defensively. "You needed to form a heartfelt bond with your Raikou first and battling is one of the ways to help with that. By defending it, you showed it that despite the fact that you were scared, you were willing to do anything to help it. You have begun the long journey of having a friend you can trust with your life."

I was about to retort when I made eye contact with Raikou and saw that strange light. I realized it was trusting adoration. In the heat of battle I was unable to figure out what it was, but now I knew without a doubt that Raikou was starting to trust me more than it did before when my mother and I were bandaging it up. This was deeper.

Speaking of, "What happened to the bandages Raikou had on?"

"Oh, that," replied Joleen rolling her eyes as though it was an obvious answer. "It doesn't need them. Your Raikou has the Volt Absorb ability. It's super rare for a Raikou to have that one; most commonly found among Jolteon, Chinchou, Lanturn, Thundurus and rarely on Pachirisu. Of course, I don't have a Pokédex so I can't give you the exact specifics on everything."

My stunned silence must have answered itself.

"It heals Pokémon with that ability who gets hit by Electric attacks. That's why Raikou immediately got stronger after that Herdier used Thunder Fang on it. The attack which should have done a ton of damage ended up giving your Raikou the energy it needed to defeat its opponent."

"Oh," I muttered. "Why do you keep using 'your' in front of Raikou?"

Joleen stared at me with leveled eyebrows. "Really? You're the one who caught it. It belongs to you."

"I didn't mean to catch it!" I yelled and had to suppress another wince of pain which I was sure filtered into my voice anyways as I continued on. "It was hurt and it was the only thing I could do to help it. I couldn't let Team Plasma get their hands on it so they could hurt it more. It was put it into the Ball and possibly hurt it that way or just leave it there and do nothing. I had to do something."

I buried my face in my hands. "I never wanted to catch it."

 _"Rair."_

I felt her hand settle on my shoulder before I glanced up at her.

"I know you're frustrated," she said softly. "But from what I've seen, tears rarely ever solve anything. By all means, let all the frustration come out, but once it is spent, that's when you need to sit back and figure out what you need to do next."

I sniffed and wiped a hand across my face. "I need to meet my Grandpa in Accumula Town. My mother told me I was supposed to meet him there."

"Alright," she replied with a grim and worried smile. "You know that the Pokéballs don't actually hurt the Pokémon, right? That was a fabrication by Team Plasma. Pokéballs allow trainers to open the hearts of the Pokémon they wish to make friends with. That's how they are supposed to be used. Pokémon do not get hurt by Pokéballs unless the trainer decides to mistreat them."

I glanced at her. "How do you know that for sure?"

"One, look at your Raikou. It's your friend after all. Does it look like Raikou is in pain after being in that Master Ball? Two, my mother was, well is, a registered Pokémon Nurse and she would know best. She's technically not supposed to be a nurse anymore since Team Plasma dismissed her of her job after their King found the idea of a Pokémon Nurse disgusting. She still operates in secret whenever she comes across an ailing Pokémon. Three, I think Infernape can tell you that himself."

She scrambled to the opposite side of the little cave we were in and retrieved a small pink purse which looked closer to a miniature duffle bag from where it had been sitting next to my own bag. She pulled out a red and white ball looking very much like the ones my mother had given to me.

"Come out Infernape," she said while throwing the ball into the air.

There was a flash of white light and the heat within the cave went up a few degrees. Standing beside her was a large monkey on fire. It came up to her shoulder in height and was mostly brown and white in colouration with some gold on its knees, wrists, chest and shoulders. Its hands and feet were a dark blue colour and its entire brow was red. The top of its head was in full flame, but that didn't seem to bother Joleen. Its yellow and blue eyes radiated the same kind of intelligence that Raikou had.

 _"Ferrrrrnape!"_

"Chris," she said with a smile as she placed a small hand on the Pokémon's shoulder. "Meet my closest friend, Infernape."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I glanced between the fire monkey before me and the girl standing at its shoulder.

"My mother managed to save him while he was still just a Chimchar," explained Joleen. "She gave him to me to train when I was a young girl. We had discreet lessons so I could learn everything I could about him. He's my most trusted friend. Does he look unhappy to you?"

I'm pretty sure my eyebrows were glued to my hairline. I shook my head slowly as she met the fire Pokémon's eyes and smiled at it. Its yellow and blue eyes glimmered with gentle fondness as it returned her gaze.

 _"Rair."_

The Raikou had left my side briefly and was sniffing at the monkey's paw.

 _"Ferrrrrn."_

The large Pokémon crouched so it was almost eye-level with the small electric tiger.

 _"Rair!"_

Raikou bumped its nose with the Infernape's in affection and a small blue lightning bolt sprang between them. The fire Pokémon was jolted and collapsed to the ground. It bound angrily to its feet in the next moment and the flames on its head flared. Its fists were lit on fire as well.

 _"Nape!"_

"Whoa there!" exclaimed Joleen as she put herself between her Infernape and the Raikou. "Calm down."

The Raikou had slunk back to my side and was crouched beside me defensively.

 _"Nape! Fernape! Nape nape nape!"_

She placed a slim hand on its brow and the building flames immediately died down to the size they had been before the Raikou had shocked it. The anger in its eyes cooled as they fixated on her.

"That Raikou is extremely young," said the girl in a soothing tone. "I know we've never really been able to work with an Electric-type before, but you remember my mother telling us about how they use small shocks as a form of affection. Please don't get mad at it. I know it hurt you, but it didn't mean to."

 _"Fern … ape …"_ muttered the Pokémon as it studied its feet in an expression that almost looked ashamed.

 _"Rair?"_ Raikou appeared hesitant as it continued to crouch in front of me.

"Come on you two," said Joleen in a soothing tone. "It was an accident so you can make up already and put it behind you."

 _"Raaaii …"_ muttered the tiger as it relaxed its stance and looked down with its shoulders hunched.

"Hey," said the young girl as she put a hand under the electric cat's chin and raised it so the Pokémon was looking her in the eye. "You do need to realize that Pokémon who aren't fellow Electric-types don't like being greeted with a shock. It hurts to them; even if you don't mean it to."

The Raikou looked away from her. It turned towards me and our eyes connected. I grinned slightly at the Pokémon and its demeanour brightened.

"Alright," said Joleen abruptly. "Now that that's settled, I think we'll stay here for the rest of the night and then get you to Accumula Town. I believe you mentioned that you were going to meet your grandpa there? Get some more rest and think about the Poké Balls. They don't hurt Pokémon. I could give you a list or two of reasons why they are good, but I think it's something you are going to need to figure out on your own."

* * *

A/N: I just want to say thanks to you guys for taking the time to read my story. I'm pretty sure everyone who's ever written a story knows that getting feedback really helps fight against Writer's Block. I'm just glad someone likes what happens when my mind is given free reign to create away :D

I definitely have plans for several of the BW/BW2 characters to show up as their 20 years later counterparts. It'll be interesting to discover where some of them ended up once Team Plasma won.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Alright," said Joleen quietly as she crouched beside me. "Staying off the main route took most of the day, but we are finally here. Accumula Town."

I stared through the bare branches of the tree we were in. She'd insisted we climb it so we could scout out the town first. Team Plasma was after me by now so it was best to stay out of sight.

I placed a hand over my chest and sighed in relief when it came into contact with the marble-shaped ball in my pocket. Riakou was still safe and sound. I was beginning to believe Joleen about the ball not hurting it. The Pokémon even appeared happy to be returning to it.

I was still in conflict. I could still feel part of me rejecting the idea of entrapping Pokémon. I didn't want to make them suffer, and yet, there was another part of me, a very strong part, which was beginning to question everything I'd ever learned about Pokémon and Team Plasma.

"Do you know where you're supposed to be meeting your grandpa?" asked Joleen softly.

"The old Pokémon Center," I replied. "My mother told me he's supposed to meet me outside … but I think that was when Team Plasma was uncertain about my involvement. I don't think I can meet him right now."

Joleen nodded slowly. "In that case, I'll meet him. You stay here and watch closely."

The young redhead slipped out of the tree and was on the ground before I could reply. She hardly made a sound as she landed and walked calmly through the trees and into town.

I stared out over Accumula Town. It was a decent sized town with several houses and apartment buildings huddled around a hill. On the very top of the hill (and a long flight of stairs) was a small house which looked down on an old building that looked like it had been closed for a very long time. As I stared at the broken down building, I could just make out Joleen's pale red hair walk by. It was difficult to miss in the early evening sunlight.

"Hello sweetie," said a snide voice I immediately recognized. "Fancy meeting you here."

I froze.

How did she know I was here?! I was up a tree and had donned some dark clothes to blend in with the trunk. My sandy hair might have stood out if someone knew to look for it. I couldn't move as I waited for her to speak again.

"Cold and heartless isn't my type, Renita," replied another voice that I recognized but for a different reason. "What brings a Plasma Admin to a quaint little place like this?"

I turned my head slowly and glanced down into the forest behind me. The Plasma lady who had confronted me before was leaning against a smaller tree as though bored. Her helmet had been removed and wavy blonde hair flowed down either side of her face. She was talking to an old man with gray-white hair. I didn't have to look at him to know he was my grandpa.

"Oh Cedric, Sweetie," cooed the woman with a sarcastic grin. "I'm flattered you care. You need to come with me."

"I'd rather try and shake hands with a Klink than go with you," muttered grandpa with narrowed eyes and a pursed mouth. "You're about as cuddly as a Carvanha in a feeding frenzy."

"Oh stop," exclaimed the Plasma lady in mock breathlessness. "You're making me blush, sweetie!"

Cedric stared at her with narrowed eyes as he refrained from speaking another word.

"No more compliments?" asked the woman. "And here I was enjoying your company so much! Very well, sweetie. We need to take you in for questioning."

"What have I done this time?" asked grandpa in alarm.

"Are you aware of what your grandson, Cristopher Juniper, has been up to?" asked Renita in a drawl. "He's been charged with the crime of capturing a Pokémon in a Poké Ball and resisting arrest. And it wasn't just any Poké ball, no, it was a Master Ball. Anyone found to be helping him will be dealt with quickly. We already found his mother harboring illegal Pokémon goods and we know she sent him to see you."

I clamped my teeth on my right hand and bit hard to stop myself from yelling out. The practical thing to do was to keep silent and remain on the run. I could help my mother more by escaping notice. That didn't make keeping silent any easier.

Grandpa appeared shocked as his mouth was hanging open unattractively and his eyebrows had disappeared into his white hair.

"Come along, sweetie," replied the lady while curling a finger around a lock of his hair. "I have no doubt you would have helped him. I suspect you were on your way to meet him now."

"You can't prove a thing," grunted Cedric. "I was merely enjoying a stroll through the woods. You wouldn't hurt an old man now would you? Never mind, I already know you would."

"Boys," said Renita in smug satisfaction. "Take our _guest_ to headquarters for further questioning. I'm going to stroll around Accumula Town and wait for Christopher to make his appearance."

Several Plasma grunts marched out of the woods from around them and grabbed my grandpa before they sauntered him away. His only protest was to glare at the woman with a scowl.

"Now now," stated the woman as she put her helmet on. It wasn't clear who she was addressing. "Time for some fun, sweetie."

She turned and strode straight into Accumula Town and left me still holding my breath while thanking Arceus that people were not in the habit of looking up.

* * *

A/N: I'm really enjoying writing Renita into the story. She's turning into a character who has decided she needed a little more spotlight time than I originally anticipated XD

Oh well, let the fun ensue!


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I paused in hesitation within the shadows of the abandoned Pokémon Center. I could tell it must have been a grand and friendly place in its day, but such times had long since passed and it was now merely a discarded shell. Broken glass littered the streets before me.

I waited for Joleen to return to the building. We were certain that Team Plasma didn't know anything of her involvement so for now she should be fine from them. I just needed to get to her before anyone thought her behaviour was suspicious. She didn't know that Grandpa Cedric wasn't going to be able to meet her.

Glancing around to make sure no one was looking, I dashed across the street and into another set of shadows. I flattened myself against the wall while scanning the street in hopes that I had gone unnoticed. I let out a breath I didn't realized I'd been holding.

"About time, sweetie," purred a female voice as a door was pulled open beside me. "I wouldn't want you to miss your appointment. Keep sulking around like this and people might begin to think you are … up to something."

I spun as the Plasma Admin stepped out of the doorway. She had her right hand up and was toying with a blue and red Poké ball. Several grunts in Plasma armor left the building and formed ranks behind her.

It was just my luck. I'm not even in the town for ten minutes and Team Plasma had already found me. It had taken me a while to get out of the tree quietly and the shadows around town had already begun to stretch as the day neared its close. I had hoped to locate Joleen before running into the Sweetie Lady. There was only one option now.

"Shall we do this the easy way, or the fun way?" asked Renita in her slow drawl.

I didn't wait to answer. I turned and ran down the street before Team Plasma could box me in.

"The fun way it is, sweetie," said the woman just loudly enough for me to hear her as I rounded the corner of the closest building and took off down the dark alleyway. "After him!"

I didn't look back as I ran. By now I was in a full on panicked run yet I had retained enough sense to know that looking back wouldn't help me get away. My best option was to give them a slip and then head back into the forest surrounding the town.

I continued down several twisting alleys. The whole while I ran, I could hear the commotion of the Plasma grunts chasing after me. If there was an up side to their garishly armored costumes, it was that they made plenty of noise when running. I had a head start and a large adrenaline spike on my side, but I didn't fancy my chances. The grunts were getting louder with each narrow corner I turned. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep running forever.

The grunts were almost on top of me when I turned another corner and was knocked aside. My balance was completely upset as I was slammed into a wall and something was slapped over my mouth. It happened too fast for me to react and before I could even consider yelling, I was being flattened painfully into the brickwork behind me.

"Stay quiet," muttered a low male voice in my ear as I began struggling against whoever had captured me.

I stopped moving as I looked up into fiercely determined gray eyes. The blaze in them made it clear that this person was not to be taken lightly. He was taller than me and his large figure along with the dark cloak he was wearing shielded me from anyone who might be travelling down the alleyway.

I stared back as him with wide eyes as the commotion of the running Plasmas came upon us and then hurried along the rest of the way down the alley.

The man pinning me to the wall waited several long minutes as the commotion died down. It was just as well that he had.

"Oh sweetie!" sang the woman in a singsong tone as she walked down the darkened alley. "I'll catch you. Come to Renita, Sweetie."

It was several longer moments after she had passed before the man removed his hand from my mouth. He leaned away from the wall and I was no longer pinned in the niche he had shoved me into.

"Shush," said the man in hushed tones when I opened my mouth. "I know you 'ave questions an' I shall answer 'em, but we need to get you out o' the open first. Follow me an' keep quiet."

With a near silent swish of his cloak, the man was walking swiftly back through the alley. I followed him as quietly as I could.

He maneuvered us back and forth between the alleyways with the ease of someone who knew his way around Accumula Town with familiarity. I had to focus all my attention on keeping up with him. Several times he paused and pulled me into various niches while we waited for Plasma grunts to pass us by. The shadows had deepened and the sun had set when he led me into a broken down building I didn't recognise.

I was about to say something when we paused, but he held a finger to his mouth and I shut up. He swiftly led us to the back of the building and silently slid a portion of the wall aside to reveal a set of ascending stairs. He hurried up them quickly and I followed behind. I lost count of the steps when we came to a trapdoor in the ceiling. After a pause, he pushed it open and pulled himself up. He pulled me up after him.

I was shocked to find myself in a very clean and well-kept room. A gray piano was set against one wall and a drum set sat next to it. There was a small table and a smell wafting through the air that instantly made my mouth water.

"Rex?" asked a female voice as a woman entered the room from what appeared to be the kitchen. She had long brown hair with streaks of gray starting to weave its way through it. She wore an ankle-length white dress with a large purple bow tied around her waist. "I thought I heard you enter. Ahh, you brought back a stray."

* * *

A/N: I can't say I am as happy with how this Chapter turned out as something about it feels a little off to me.

Still, have some more of Renita as I can't get enough of writing parts for her, and lets meet a new shady character.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"It seems I 'ave," agreed Rex with a chuckle. "It's okay boy; you can breathe now."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding with a choked wheeze.

Now that I was seeing him in the light, the man didn't look nearly as foreboding. True, he was taller than me, but he appeared thin instead of overly muscled as I'd initially thought. The dark, ragged cloak he was wearing appeared to be more of a cyan which had been grayed through years of use. A few whiskers showed through among the scruff on his face and his black hair was chopped short and messy in a fashion which suggested he'd cut it himself without the assistance of a mirror.

"Mary, I believe he'll be wantin' a bite to eat after being chased all over the city," replied the man while clapping a hand on my shoulder. "I think I migh' second that motion. Plasma can be stubborn and relentless when they want to be. Especially when that Admin is involved."

"The stew has been simmering on the stove all afternoon," replied the woman with a nod and a smile. "It should be ready by the time Theo gets back."

"Which happens to be now," said another male voice as a man entered through the front door. His brown hair also showed signs of gray and he wore a vibrant purple shirt which complimented the woman's bow. "As I said, I knew Rex would find him."

"Chris!" exclaimed Joleen as she rushed in through the door behind the man. "Thank goodness you're okay! I'm sorry I couldn't get to your grandpa. Team Plasma started patrolling the streets and I was shooed off by them."

"That's okay," I said while glancing down. "The Plasma Admin I battled earlier captured him and took him in to questioning in the forest. I don't think I can get to him."

"You certainly can't," said Rex in ill-concealed gruffness. "They will be keepin' him somewhere secure now. I doubt they'll hurt him, but now that he's been captured, you'll be on your own."

Both Joleen and I stared at the dark man as he accepted a cup from the woman and drank it down in one go.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I'm pretty sure my eyes would have fallen out with how wide they had gone.

A scrape from the table beside us made me jump as the woman began placing bowls on the table. Her husband moved over to help her bring a steaming pot over to join the bowls. The dark man hovered closer to the hearth of the fireplace.

"It's almost time," said Theo with a gesture towards Rex. The other man grumbled as he put the cup in his hands on the mantle of the fireplace. "I'm sorry you two, but food will have to wait just a bit while we do our evening music practice."

"You two feel free to eat," stated Mary as she settled herself behind the gray piano and lifted the lid to reveal the black and white keys. "If we don't do this now, it may attract unwanted attention."

I shook my head politely. "We'll wait for you to finish first. We can eat then."

"Alright," said Theo from behind the drum set. "Rex, if you would?"

The tall man sighed and removed a wooden pipe from a pocket within his cloak. He put it to his mouth and began to play a soft lilting melody. Mary joined him shortly with the bright tinkling of her piano. As the tune build up, Theo joined them effortlessly with his drums. The effect of each added instrument made the simple melody seem as though it had the support of them the entire time.

I glanced over at Joleen in the middle of the song to see her smiling with quiet contentment. She caught my gaze and grinned wider before rolling her eyes. We held true to my statement and waited for them to finish playing before touching any of the food.

"That was beautiful!" exclaimed the young girl as the adults joined them at the table after their grand finish.

I nodded enthusiastically in agreement as I picked up the spoon provided for me and began dishing the stew into a bowl.

"My husband and I have been playing that every evening since before Team Plasma officially took over Unova," explained the lady with a soft grin. "It's become something of a symbol of hope for those of us in Accumula Town. Hope for a time when we can once again live with the Pokémon which were taken from us so long ago. Plasma isn't aware of it since we've been doing it for so long. Rex joined us several years ago."

"I've heard your song before while I was travelling through," replied Joleen. "It's something most of Unova knows about; or at least that's what my mother says. It's one of the charms of this place."

"Indeed," said Rex before digging into the stew.

"Do you mind if I ask why Team Plasma is after you two?" asked Theo after swallowing a spoonful. "We've had our share of strays come through who still had treasured Pokémon companions with them. So you can trust us. We're not fond of Plasma's rule over Unova either, but there's not much we will be able to do against them."

I set aside my spoon and placed my hand to my chest. I breathed a sigh of relief when I felt the ball still inside the pocket of my jacket. Joleen noticed my action and scooped another mouthful of stew into her mouth to hide her grin. I pretended not to notice her reaction.

"They're after me," I started in a soft tone. "I … had to capture a Pokémon which had escaped from them so I could protect it. It was hurt and I couldn't let them hurt it more. They didn't know I had caught it at first, but they figured it out and have chased me from Nuvema Town to here. I was supposed to meet my grandpa here. That was before they captured him in the woods before we could meet."

"Cedric Juniper, correct?" asked Rex while levelling me with sharp gray eyes. "He told us o' your arrival in case he couldn't meet you himself. He said you were to head to the Dream Yard just beside Striaton City."

"Why?" I asked in concern. "What's there? How will I be able to help my grandpa from there?"

"That makes sense!" exclaimed Joleen. "It's one of the few places still safe from Plasma. A powerful Pokémon lives there which keeps those with dark intentions from finding those sheltered there. My mother has taken me there before."

"It'll help your grandpa not to get caught," replied Rex in stern instruction. "Plasma doesn't know for sure if he's involved with you yet. Let's keep it that way. You can avoid them by heading into the Dream Yard."

"You'll be able to stay here for the night," said Theo to my sullen silence. "It'll be safe enough until morning."

I hesitated. Several thoughts were flying through my head and uncertainty weighed heavily among them. I really wanted to do something to free my grandpa and get his help, but I didn't know the first place to start. It probably was for the best if I went to the Dream Yard. Raikou would definitely be safe there.

Rex must have noticed my decision on my face. "I take it you 'ave made up your mind. May I request one thing o' you before we all settle down for the nigh'?"

"Uh, what is it?" I asked softly.

"Show me the Pokémon you caught and saved from Plasma."

I felt my eyebrows rise as I shot a glance towards Joleen. She shrugged and then nodded slightly in encouragement.

"Um, okay." I reached inside my jacket pocket and pulled out the marble-sized Master Ball. It grew to the size of an orange just before I hefted it into the air. "Raikou, come out."

In a flash of white light, the Electric-type Pokémon appeared beside the hearth. Its weary red eyes travelled among the strangers in the room until they came to me and brightened. I went to its side and knelt down beside it so I could scratch at the ruff along either side of its cheeks.

" _Rairr-rr-rr-rr,_ " purred the small tiger.

"Well then," said Rex in a tone that barred all future protests. "I've overstayed my visit to this town. I'm joinin' you when you leave for the Dream Yard come mornin'. I suggest you get your rest. We 'ave a ways to travel tomorrow."

* * *

A/N: Yes, that is indeed the Accumula Town music from the original BW games that Mary, Theo and Rex would be playing (seeing as Mary and Theo **_are_** the couple in the house on top of the hill in Accumula Town it really shouldn't come as a surprise). I loved that feature so much when in town that I would often spend hours playing with adding the different part. I just _**HAD**_ to add it into my story.

I will admit to over-abusing this song on repeat when writing this. YouTube works wonders!


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Joleen and I hesitated as we waited within the remnants of the Accumula Town Pokémon Center. Neither one of us spoke a word to each other as we waited. Rex had yet to come back from scouting the way ahead for Team Plasma.

Now that I knew Mary and Theo's house had a secret passage way into the abandoned place of healing, it was easier to recognise some of the broken down machines I had been rushed passed the previous night. There wasn't a single bulky shape that didn't have its mechanical innards spilt across the floor, or simply missing. It was still too dark for me to tell the difference between any colours and too much time had corroded away any kind of symbols.

I placed my hand across my chest and breathed a sigh of relief when my fingers came into contact with the marble-sized Master Ball settled just below my heart. Raikou was still safe.

I blinked rapidly. When had I started to think the Pokémon was safe within the ball I'd captured it with? The thought was enough to jolt me out of any other musings I might have been having.

I was beginning to think of the ball being less of a prison and more of a safe haven. What was wrong with me? Surely that wasn't right. Unless everything we'd been taught in school while I'd been growing up was completely wrong. From what I'd seen with Team Plasma so far, that seemed to be the case.

If it was indeed the case that the rulers of Unova had crafted that giant story and made it part of the social norm, then what else was also a falsehood? Was there anything about me that was true, or had my entire life been a lie from the start?

I staggered slightly at the thought and bumped a piece of machinery causing it to scrape against the floor. The action pulled Joleen out of her own musings and she glance at me in concern.

"What's up?" she asked while placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Nothing," I replied quickly while I shook my head to rid myself of such thoughts.

I refused to admit I'd just had a glimpse into a very dark pit of despair. I mentally scolded myself for jumping to the worst conclusion possible. I should find out more about Unova before I make rash thoughts. That's what I should do.

"Just thinking about Raikou," I replied to her concerned stare, using a half-truth in place of my lie.

"Understandable," replied the girl with a smile. "It seems like you are getting quite attached to it."

"Yeah," I muttered my agreement. Admitting to it out loud made it seem much more real.

"You never forget the first Pokémon you raise," commented the girl with a wide smile. "It's why Infernape and I are so close. He was my first."

"You can say that again," agreed Rex as he joined us amongst the wreckage. I jumped as I hadn't heard him come back until he spoke beside me. "I remember my first partner all those years ago. Back before everythin' went wrong an' I lost everythin' I cherished."

Joleen and I glanced at each other before she pressed the question.

"What was your first Pokémon?"

Rex hesitated and his face seemed to take on even more shadows than it already had. His eyes had glazed slightly in hurt before he shook it off.

"Tha's a conversation for another time," grunted the man with his eyebrows creased together and his gray eyes narrowed. "My friends were … taken from me years ago. I'd rather not talk about it."

He headed towards the predawn glow from the world outside the abandoned Pokémon Center and gestured for us to follow and remain quiet. Joleen shot me a withered look, but we both remained silent as we followed the man into the barren forest beside Accumula Town and away from Team Plasma.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"We'll rest 'ere for lunch," stated Rex while dropping his bag beside a log and sitting next to it.

I collapsed beside him; eternally grateful for the rest.

We had made swift work of travelling through the thick forest between Accumula Town and the Dream Yard and Rex speculated that we should be able to reach it sometime on the next morning. According to our new travelling companion, it would have been quicker to travel the main road from Accumula Town to Striaton City, but we were avoiding being detected by Team Plasma. That meant taking a longer route through the untamed forests of Unova.

Rex hadn't talked much beyond making sure we were following closely behind him. He seemed to be reserving his energy for the journey. His face took on a slight scowl while we'd been travelling. Even now, his thoughts seemed to cause him irritation.

"This forest doesn't look that different from the one back at home," I muttered in an undertone meant just for myself as I glanced around at the brown trunks surrounding us.

"Which is a shame," grunted the man beside me.

"Why's that?" asked Joleen as she settled herself on his other side and began pulling out bottles and non-perishable foods stored in cans. She passed them to Rex and he passed some to me to get into while he replied to her question.

"You two are too young to remember a time when forests were green," said Rex in sober contemplation. He gripped the unopened can in his hand tightly. "Unova never used to look this barren. It used to 'ave lush green trees an' flowers which changed colours with the seasons. The forests used to 'ave smells which invigorated the spirit. You used to be able to find fruit almost everywhere there was a forest. The fresh fruit tasted so rich it was like eatin' a delicacy. Even better than this _stuff_ we have to get imported from Hoenn."

I blinked several times as I took a spoon of the canned fruit and thought about it. It tasted just like it always did. It was on the sweet side, but not in an overpowering manner.

"I grew up with green forests," Rex murmured, now sounding lost in thought. "Not brown. Not leafless no matter the season. Not so empty."

"I couldn't imagine the forest looking any other way," I muttered softly.

Rex glanced sideways at me. "Well, it's Plasma's fault it's in this state. They promised they would free all Pokémon from their Poké Balls, an' they did. It wasn't too long after that in which they began roundin' up all the Pokémon they could find across the entire region. They didn't care if the Pokémon was wild or tamed. They rounded up everythin'. To prevent the temptation of capturin', they said. Moved to a safe location away from the negative influences of humans, they said. And when all the local vegetation began to wilt an' wither without the wild Pokémon to look after it, they turned a blind eye. No one could oppose them. They 'ad the King, the Hero of Truth, behind them. All who tried failed an' their Pokémon companions were taken as well."

In the silence that followed his outburst, Joleen and I shared a glance at each other. She quickly swallowed her mouthful of canned fruit and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It sounds like you were someone who tried to stop them and failed," the girl stated with a sad smile.

"I did," replied Rex while getting to his feet and starting to pace before them. "Well, dwellin' over wha' 'appened won't solve anythin'. I finally 'ave a chance to make up for my failure an' I'm takin' it.

"Tell me kid, what do you know about Pokémon?"

"I …" I started before averting my eyes to my dirty shoes. "Almost nothing. Only what Plasma allowed to be taught in our schools now."

"That explains the battle," muttered Joleen in a quiet undertone that I barely caught.

"Battle?" asked Rex as he swung around in his pacing to face me. "You and Raikou 'ave already 'ad a battle?"

"Sort of," I muttered, placing my hand just below my heart. "I got hurt during it when I tried to protect the Raikou. It ended with it using Roar and scaring the Plasma members trying to catch us."

"Sounds like you were lucky," grunted the man as he turned away from me. He finally opened the can and gulped the fruit inside down as though he was drinking ale. "Let's start with findin' out 'ow much you do know. How many different Pokémon types are there?"

I stared at him with widened eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Pokémon types," repeated Rex. "As in, 'ow many different elemental groups can different Pokémon be a part of? What is their type?"

"Raikou is an Electric type," Joleen input to my continued blank stare. "The Herdier you battled from Plasma is a Normal type, and the Liepard is a Dark type."

I felt my cheeks grow hot in shame as my hands crunched the empty can I'd been holding onto. I closed my eyes as I tried not to succumb to despair or rage.

"I don't know," I admitted, barely able to choke the words out. "I was only taught that catching Pokémon was bad, there were over 700 known species and that we were supposed to report any that we find to the Plasma officials. I was never taught anything else about them!"

I suddenly found myself on my feet without knowing how I got there. I continued on as my voice rose without me realizing it was doing so.

"I don't know how to look after Raikou! I don't even know the first think about feeding it, or what I'm supposed to be doing with it at all to get it to full health. I didn't even know what a Poké Ball looked like until I found the Master Ball. I thought they'd all been destroyed! I definitely don't want to be out here in the middle of nowhere fleeing from the people who uphold the King's law within Unova! I just want to go home and help my mother teach her classes."

I trailed off in bitterness and dropped myself back onto the log beside Joleen. She looked slightly stunned with a spoon halfway to her face which was dripping fruit back into the can she held on her lap. Rex let out a sigh.

"Tha' clears up tha'," grumbled the man. "How did you find the Master Ball?"

"It was in a box my mother had told me not to touch," I replied as I tucked my legs in towards my chest and wrapped my arms around them. "I was hoping to find something about my father when I took it out into the forest before the storm. I didn't think I'd find that ball."

"And why did you decide to use the ball on Raikou?" Rex asked in quiet contemplation.

"It was hurt," I replied automatically. My eyes settled on my bag and remained there. "It appeared before me, collapsed in the mud. I couldn't carry it the way it was. I wanted to do something. It was the first Pokémon I'd ever seen. I wanted to save it. I didn't want to catch it."

"You did save it by catching it," said Joleen while placing a hand on one of my knees in comfort.

Rex halted in his pacing right in front of me so his black shoes entered my field of vision. A hand fell on my shoulder.

"Tell me why you ran from Plasma instead of just turning over the Pokémon to them the moment you caught it?"

I hesitated.

"I don't know. I guess I didn't like how the ones who were chasing after the Raikou treated me when they first found me. I didn't trust them. It was a gut feeling. I knew they would hurt it more if I let them have it. I guessed they had hurt it in the first place. I just wanted it to be okay."

* * *

A/N: Yes, Chris is an insane noob character.

Bear with me as he needs to learn a few things about Pokémon before he reaches the Dream Yard.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Right then," exclaimed Rex as he used a finger to move my chin up so he could look me in the eye. "You're basically a blank slate. Teachin' you about different Pokémon will be easier this way. There are seventeen different Pokémon types you need to know about."

"Eighteen," intruded Joleen. "Just after Team Plasma took over, my mother had enough time to receive word of an eighteenth type which had been discovered in a faraway Region called Kalos. They were planning to research more about it before Plasma shut down the center and banned her from interacting with Pokémon. I don't remember what the type was supposed to be called, but she might if we can meet up with her."

"Huh," grunted Rex. "It seems I stand corrected.

"Anyways, most Pokémon appearances tend to align with their typin'. Most Fire-types 'ave live flames sprouting from them or can create fire, and most Grass-types sport some form o' plant life. Wha' you really need to know is wha' type the Pokémon you face is, and wha' types it is strong and weak against. We'll start by teachin' you the Electric type as that's the type of the only Pokémon you currently 'ave. Would you mind releasin' Raikou from its Master Ball for part o' this lesson?"

"Okay," I replied, feeling slightly overwhelmed, but quite willing to keep learning.

I removed the Master Ball from the inner pocket of my jacket and tossed it into the air as it grew. Raikou appeared before me in a flash of white light. It shook itself a little before yawning widely and fixating its bright red eyes on me.

" _Rair?_ " rumbled the Pokémon as it approached me.

"Hey there, you," I murmured as I reached a hand out towards it.

In response, the little tiger jumped up so both its paws were on my chest and it could reach my face with its tongue. It managed to get in a scrape before it knocked me backwards onto my bag.

"Hey!" I exclaimed while trying to fend off the tongue making quick work of my face. I couldn't help the stammering giggles that escaped through our struggle. "Enough! I need to be able to breathe!"

"Chris?" asked Joleen in hesitation. I paused in my attempt to get Raikou to stop licking me to glance up at her. "How long have you had this?"

Raikou got in another slurp before I could sit up properly. As I sputtered, my eyes fell on the red rectangular object she was plucking from my open bag.

"Is that?" asked Rex in a mix of horror and excitement.

I fixated on the Pokédex in her hands before answering her. "My mother gave it to me. She said it was old."

"It's just what we need to help you learn about all the Pokémon you could come across!" exclaimed the girl as she began pressing buttons and the second screen was revealed. "This changes everything. This will hold all of the research they had up to the point of Plasma's takeover! Better yet, this one has been upgraded to a National Dex. It has records of all the Pokémon found in Unova and also Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh! Oh, this is perfect! Your mother was a genius for saving this. Here, I can use it on Raikou to find out everything we need to know. It'll tell you what moves it has and its nature, ability, everything! This device is a priceless treasure of lost knowledge for our generation!"

My eyebrows seemed to have been permanently stuck upwards as I stared at her. Joy shone from her face as her fingers went crazy with the device.

"I didn't think it was that special," I muttered while absently placing a hand on Raikou's nose.

"Are you kidding me?!" exclaimed Joleen. "There was a time when almost every travelling trainer in Unova had one! They were connected to a network of pooled data on every Pokémon they discovered, including all their experiences in raising them. It was a marvel before Plasma destroyed it. Or at least said they'd destroyed it! From this device, it looks like I can still get into the database! It's survived. Somewhere in Unova it's still going even after all those years. This is going to make things so much easier for you! We'll use it to help teach you about all the Pokémon you come across! There's so much for you to learn about!"

I continued to stare at her in shock over her outburst. I returned her overjoyed grin with a faint one of my own as most of what she was jabbering about was new information to me.

"Rex?" asked Joleen as she finally glanced up from the device. "Are you alright?"

I shifted my glance past her and onto the man just beyond Raikou. He was standing stock still and didn't appear to be breathing much.

"I-Nothin'," grunted the man as he shook his head. "I jus' thought I'd recognised that Poké-device from somewhere. I was clearly mistaken."

"Oh," Joleen mumbled before returning her full attention to the red Pokédex in her hands. "Okay. I'll set this thing up so I can pull up everything we need to know about Raikou."

"'Ow is it you know 'ow to operate one o' those?" asked Rex as he dispensed of the last of his disbelief with the question. "If it's as rare as you say it is, 'ow do you know 'ow it works?"

"I've always been good with machines and pieces of technology," replied the girl without glancing up. "I'm particularly good at figuring out how things work. Perks of knowing Professor Fennel and her family. There, let's see what we can learn."

She finished fiddling with the device and aimed it at the Raikou now lying sprawled across my lap. A calm female voice sprouted from the machine as it had once before.

 _-"Raikou, the Thunder Pokémon. It is said to have fallen with lightning. It can fire thunderbolts from the rainclouds on its back."-_

"Right," muttered Joleen while her fingers began flying again. "Yes, helpful. Stats please. Here we are!"

 _-"Raikou._

 _Type; Electric._

 _Gender; Unknown._

 _Ability; Volt Absorb._

 _Nature; Modest._

 _Origin; Johto._

 _Approximate Level; 15._

 _Moves; Bite, Leer, Thundershock, Roar._

 _Weak to; Ground._

 _Resistant to; Flying, Steel, Electric."-_

"It can tell all that?" exclaimed Rex while running a hand through his rough black hair to move it out of his smoldering gray eyes.

"When used correctly," mumbled Joleen as she handed the device back to me. "We can start with teaching him what all of those mean, and I think it might be a good idea to have a small battle against my Blaziken while we do so. Unless you have a Pokémon with you that you've been hiding." The girl stared pointedly at the man.

He shifted his stance and scratched the back of his head. "I acquired two since Plasma took my original team."

"Great!" exclaimed Joleen with a bright smile. "We'll teach him together with a battle. Doing is a much better teacher than listening. It'll be good experience for both Chris and Raikou."

* * *

A/N: brace yourselves for a huge teaching chapter coming up ... It's probably a lot of things you, as Pokemon fans, already know, but its necessary for part of Chris's development. Not to worry, Chapter 15 will be the ONLY major teaching Chapter we'll have to go through. There will be other things he'll be taught once he meets more Pokemon, but nothing this major.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Send out your weakest Pokémon to start him off with," exclaimed Joleen. "My Infernape is probably a little too strong for him at the moment, and my other Pokémon only comes out to help me with healing."

"Alright," muttered Rex as he withdrew a teal ball with a black net-like pattern on the top of it. "Deino, come out."

"Oooo," cooed the girl with excitement as she helped me up to my feet. There was a flash of bright light and a small blue and black Pokémon had appeared before us. "I've never seen one of those before! Okay, so now you can take the Pokédex and point this little camera at Rex's Deino."

"Okay," I muttered as I lifted the device.

A picture of the little, blue, four-legged dragon-like creature with fluffy black fur all over its head and collared around its neck appeared on the top of the dual screens. Once again, the female voice sprouted from the device.

 _-"Deino. The Irate Pokémon. They cannot see, so they tackle and bite to learn about their surroundings. Their bodies are covered in wounds."-_

At the sound of the voice emitting from my device, the Pokémon squeaked and tried to hide behind Rex's legs. Its body came to just above the man's knees as it tried to duck its head below his ankles. Raikou turned a glance from the other Pokémon towards me as though a little confused with its reaction.

"You notice that the lower screen has a list on it?" asked Joleen. I nodded. "Put your finger on the little speaker button here and it will read out the stats for you."

I did as she mentioned and the device spoke up again while displaying the text it was speaking.

 _-"Deino._

 _Type; Dark/Dragon._

 _Gender; Female._

 _Ability; Hustle._

 _Nature; Timid._

 _Origin; Unova, Victory Road._

 _Weak to; Fighting, Bug, Ice, Dragon._

 _Immune to; Psychic._

 _Resistant to; Ghost, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Dark."-_

I lowered the device as Rex crouched down and coaxed the Pokémon to stop hiding behind him. It took several hesitant steps so it was in front of him, but remained crouched low.

"We're goin' to 'ave a little battle," said the man gently once he had the Pokémon's attention. "We need to teach our new friend 'ere a thing or two about Pokémon. Are you willin' to help me out?"

The blue and black Pokémon hesitated before giving a sharp nod and moving to stand confidently in front of Rex and faced me and Raikou with a low growl.

"Pokémon can come in dual types as well as single types," Joleen lectured beside me as Raikou confidently took its place in front of me. "Raikou is a single type, being Electric. Electric types have the ability to store and emit electrical power and used to be a common sight around power stations. A lot of them tend to be yellow or have some form of jagged patterns. Deino is a dual type of Dark and Dragon. Dark types usually have darker colours, prefer places with less light and like to deceive others around them. Dragons are typically majestic creatures and it's no surprise that a lot of the Pokémon we classified as legendary are also of this type. They are also very emotional beings with long memories."

"So each type has physical clues to lean towards what type I could be facing?" I summed up with a hopeful gaze.

"Exactly," continued the girl with a wide grin. "But there can be exceptions to every rule; especially where dual-typing comes into play. It could mean some of one type's usual weaknesses might be countered by its other typing. The opposite could be true if a move does even more damage and is super effective against both types.

"To battle with, Pokémon can each only learn four moves. Each move is associated with a type as well. They can be taught more moves as they grow at the expense of forgetting one they previously knew. Right now, your Raikou knows Leer, Bite, Thundershock, and Roar. I suggest we refrain from using Roar right at the moment as we don't want to give our location away to Team Plasma."

"Right," I nodded. "I remember what that one does. It made them run away."

"It's a Normal-type attack which doesn't cause any damage to your opponent. Instead, it will normally force the opponent to switch Pokémon. I believe Team Plasma only had the one Pokémon on them so it fled and they had to chase after it."

"That must 'ave been some roar," commented Rex with a grin. "Best save it for later."

Joleen returned his grin before she made eye contact with me and continued on. "Leer is also a Normal-type move. It and Roar are what we call Status moves. They don't afflict actual damage, but can cause a whole lot of useful effects to help with a battle's outcome.

"Bite is a Dark-type attack. It is also called a Physical attack because it is caused by one Pokémon actually biting the other in a contact attack. Thundershock, on the other hand, is an Electric-type attack and a Special attack as it causes damage without the Pokémon actually touching each other."

"Think you can remember all that?" asked Rex with his arms crossed and a good natured grin. "When you're ready, you can 'ave the first attack."

I hesitated and then glanced at Jollen.

"This is your battle," she said with her hands up. "I'll be here with useful pointers, but you need to decide what you want to do on your own. I can't do that for you."

"Okay," I sighed before turning back to Raikou and sharing a determined glare with it. I pointed at the dragon before us. "Let's do this, Raikou. Thundershock!"

 _"Rair!"_

The yellow Pokémon began emitting sparks from the short mane on its back. The dancing blue sparks gathered just behind its head and arched over it to make direct contact with the blue and black Pokémon standing before Rex. It winced slightly before shaking the attack off. It looked like the attack did nothing.

"Normally,"Joleen dictated. "An Electric-type Pokémon using an Electric-type move would make the move more powerful, but electric attacks are not that great against a Dragon-type Pokémon like Deino. You might want to try a different attack on it."

"Deino," said Rex calmly. "Use Headbutt on Raikou."

"This is where you can command your Pokémon to Dodge!" exclaimed Joleen as the dark dragon zeroed in on my Raikou with its head lowered.

"Dodge!" I yelped.

The Raikou lunged to the side and out of the way of the oncoming attack. The Deino skidded to a halt and growled at the Electric cat.

"Dodging is an unofficial move which all Pokémon can use," Joleen spoke a little faster as the two Pokémon between Rex and I began circling each other. "It's not classified as a special attack that Pokémon can do so it doesn't limit what you can teach your Pokémon. It can be very handy in strategy."

"Right," I said with a quick nod. "Raikou, Bite!"

The tiger lunged in towards the dragon and clamped its teeth on its opponent in a painful looking bite. The Deino shook off Raikou as though the attack did nothing to it.

"Dark-type moves like Bite are not very effective against a fellow Dark type," stated Joleen to my confusion.

"But then how am I supposed to be able to defeat it if none of Raikou's attacks are any good?" I asked with despair brought on by realization.

"Strategy," said Joleen simply. "It doesn't matter if the odds are against you if you have the ability to be as clever as you are able. True champions, back before Plasma took over, were able to strategize on the fly within the middle of a heated battle. It comes down to outsmarting your opponent and believing in your Pokémon. Trust between a trainer and a Pokémon is an extremely important part of a battle. It can change everything that happens. If you don't trust and believe that they can do it, they won't."

"Deino," said Rex, taking advantage of a break in the girl's explanation. "Let's show this cat a real Bite!"

The dark dragon snarled in reply and lunged towards the Raikou. The yellow tiger jumped back in surprise and the attack just barely missed.

"Why?" asked Joleen with narrowed blue eyes before they snapped wide open in realization. "Right! Hustle. Each Pokémon also has an ability which can help within a battle. Your Raikou's is called Volt Absorb. If it gets hit by an Electric attack, like that Herdier's Thunder Fang when you battled the Plasma grunts earlier, it will gain health instead of being hurt."

"I remember that," I murmured.

"Deino's Ability is Hustle," stated the girl with an absent twirl of her strawberry-blond hair. "That means its physical attacks are more powerful at the expense of being less accurate. You've been lucky so far and you can use that to your advantage to wear it down. Remember, Raikou still has one more attack it might find useful in this situation."

I nodded and turned back to focus on the battle as the Pokémon continued circling each other. "Leer!"

Raikou's red eyes widened in a leer aimed directly at its opponent. The Deino winced slightly and its body tensed up.

"Now you can use Bite again with greater effect now that its defence has been lowered by that attack," exclaimed Joleen.

"Deino," said Rex in a calm tone. "Dragonbreath."

The black and blue Pokémon opened its mouth and encased Raikou in a crimson cloud of dust. The tiger yelped loudly and lunged back to try and escape the attack. It slammed its head into the log beside our bags and fell to the ground in a sprawl.

"Raikou!" I exclaimed as I ran to its side. "Are you alright?"

It glanced up at me with wide red eyed before growling lightly. _"Rair."_

"Let's end that lesson there," said Rex with a pat on the head of his Deino before recalling it to the cyan ball he'd released it from. He tucked the ball back in a pocket inside part of his cloak. "It is very important to know when a battle is done. True, they are tests of skill an' determination, but they aren't meant to be a fight to the death. Be careful not to push Raikou too far, or to attack an opponent with too much. Believe me. The death of a partner is the worst thin' one could go through."

"Thank you," I said softly as I fished the purple ball out of my jacket. "Do you feel alright returning to the Master Ball?"

In reply, Raikou bumped the button on the ball with its nose and vanished in a flash of red light. I placed the ball back in my jacket and held my hand on it while it shrunk. I kept my hand on my chest as I turned to Joleen and Rex.

"Thank you for the lesson. I shall think about it carefully."

"No problem," Joleen beamed. "If you have any questions about anything, just feel free to ask."

Rex shouldered the large bag he owned. "Let's get movin'. We 'ave still got a lot o' ground to cover."

* * *

A/N: Is it a bad thing that most of the time I was editing this Chapter, "Come Along," the music that always plays in the games during a time when the player is being taught the basics of the game was playing through my head? Not as chipper or upbeat as the ones in the original BW when Professor Juniper shows you Route 1 or the Pokemon Center in Accumula, but the exact same tune ... with maybe an undercurrent of urgency to it as this is something necessary for Chris to learn.

I hope I didn't overdo it with teaching him about the basics of battling. I know its everything you guys should already know, but to Chris, it's new information and important for his progress. This is the only time we'll see a mostly teaching battle. Any time he has to learn something new about Pokemon in the future will hopefully be mentions from Rex or Joleen and references back to conversations on the road that I won't be writing in.

I thank you for your patience. The next Chapter should have them arriving at the Dream Yard where things should hopefully pick up a bit more, and we'll be meeting some familiar faces.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

That night and the next morning were highly uneventful.

I continued to ask Joleen questions about the different Pokémon types to the point of having a headache. It was worth it as I felt certain I could at least guess at an unknown Pokémon's typing if I should come across one on my own. The abilities and a full list of moves would have to wait for another day.

Joleen was unhappy over the lack of information regarding the eighteenth type, but there wasn't much we could do over that until we met her mother. She was hiding out in Castelia City with the remaining free Pokémon there last the girl knew. Hopefully, the former nurse would know some of the characteristics of that type. If not, then we'd have to just wait and see what happened when we came across one and learn from battling it. I still had the other empty Poké Balls my mother had given me in my bag. Maybe I could track one down and catch it. It would be a good idea if I wanted to surprise Team Plasma with a Pokémon they knew little of.

That night gave me a lot of time to get my journal started. I figured that since I was starting to learn about Pokémon for real this time, I might as well jot down everything I could learn. The Pokédex would be handy, but I felt that young future trainers would take more inspiration from a story than cold hard facts. At least that's what I hope for. I haven't given much thought to what we are going to do after the Dream Yard.

I don't even know what it looks like. Joleen has hinted that she's been there before, but she refused to give me a snippet of detail beyond that. I'd have to wait and see for myself. I don't know what to expect.

Rex's thoughtful frown seemed to be permanently etched onto his face. It was like travelling was bringing back old memories, and no amount of prodding from myself or Joleen would get him to spill about anything that was on his mind.

We continued travelling early the next morning. I slept very little as it was the first time I'd actually slept outdoors. Joleen and Rex seemed fine with it when they finished their night watch like we'd agreed to.

We traversed through the barren forest for most of the day until a thick fog rolled in just around noon while my stomach had decided to start grumbling.

"Wait," snapped Rex with an arm up to halt my forward motion.

"What is it?" asked Joleen as she stopped just behind my shoulder.

"Someone's there," murmured the man with his focus into the thick mist ahead of us.

"Bravo," said a female voice as a young woman with semi-rimless, half-moon glasses as she stepped out of the mist and confronted us. "You've obviously spent time in the forest before if you were able to spot me. Congrats."

I stared at her while Rex glowered and Joleen gasped. Her umber hair was held back into a pair of pigtails by two blue hair ties. They matched the blue of her short dress, which ended just below her knees. I guessed her to be in her mid to late twenties.

"Who're you?" growled Rex the same time Joleen squealed rather loudly.

"Amanita!" exclaimed the young girl as she hurried towards the young woman and tackled her in a hug.

The woman gasped as she was almost knocked over. "Joleen! That's not very lady-like!"

"When have I ever acted like a lady?" asked the girl back with a roll of her eyes.

They both dissolved into a giggling embrace while I watched on in gobsmacked silence. Whatever Rex's reaction to the two was, had been covered up by indifference. He didn't meet my eyes once in the time of Joleen's embrace with her friend.

"It's good to see that you are well," said Amanita once the two had finished their hug. "What brought you to be with these two?"

"The kind of story you're going to want to take us back to your older sister to hear," replied Joleen. "Believe me, it's good!"

"I'll take your word for it," replied the young woman while adjusting her blue-rimmed glasses on her nose. "Come on. I can take you to the Dream Yard proper. You're pretty close to it as it is."

"'Ow do we know we can trust you?" asked Rex with suspicion in his stormy grey eyes. "For that matter, 'ow do you know you can trust us?"

"Neither of us would be able to stand here if either of us had wicked intentions," the woman replied with a mischievous grin. "The Pokémon keeping our haven safe from Plasma would have caused you to divert your path around us had you any ill intention towards anyone who could be seeking refuge within the Dream Yard."

* * *

A/N: A slightly shorter Chapter this time, but I feel it covers everything that needs to be told leading up to the entrance into the Dream Yard. Enjoy, and if you guys know of any Pokemon that can sense the intentions of People around them, please do let me know!


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"It's alright Swinub," said Amanita as she crouched a little towards the fog surrounding her. "You can stop using Mist now."

The billowing white particles started to dissipate and slowly revealed a creature which appeared to be a small lump of brown-striped fur with an adorable little nose. I narrowed my eyes at it in an attempt to discern what type this Pokémon could be. It was the first one I'd come across since my lesson and I wanted to prove to Joleen and Rex that I was learning more about Pokémon.

Its nose snuffled as it moved closer to Amanita's ankles and accepted her calm hand on its shaggy back. It's back came to about halfway up her shin.

It took notice of me and shuffled up to my feet and tilted its body back as though it was trying to look up at me. Its nose continued moving as though it was perpetually sniffing the air. Remembering Joleen mention how making oneself appear smaller would be less startling to unfamiliar Pokémon; I crouched and slowly reached a hand towards this new creature.

 _"Swiiiiine!"_

It squealed slightly before flicking my hand briefly with its nose and hurrying back to Amanita's feet.

"It seems he likes you," muttered Joleen with a wide grin.

"I'll take you to meet my sister," said Amanita with a slight nod. "We can discuss what brings you to our sanctuary once we reach her."

I leaned closer to Joleen as we followed the woman so as not to alert the others to my question.

"What species of Pokémon was that and what type is it?"

Joleen's jovial expression gained a hint of mischief as she narrowed her eyes slightly and her grin got wider than before. "That, was a Swinub. They are most commonly found in the Johto region, but I recall hearing mention that its evolutions, Piloswine and Mamoswine, used to roam a remote part of Unova. That was before Team Plasma won Unova, so I don't know if you'll be able to find any now.

"It's no surprise that this Pokémon's typing is a little difficult to figure out. It's an Ice and Ground type. I'm sure if you'd been able to touch its actually body, you would have noticed that it would have felt cold. Can you tell me what you learned about those types' weaknesses and strengths and how they might go together? Start with attack types used against it."

"Well," I started as we continued deeper into the trees. "Fire would be good against it, right?"

At her smile and slight prompting nod, I continued. "And Steel, Fighting, Rock … but definitely not Electric."

When the silence after my statement stretched on longer than anticipated, I opened my mouth to say more, but she beat me to it. "It seems you remember Ice better than Ground. Its Ground typing adds Grass and Water as further weaknesses. Also, in this case, Rock is not a weakness as it is negated by its Ground-type the same way its Ice-type side cancels out its Ground-Type weakness to Ice."

"That's a lot to remember," I muttered with a wince. "I definitely remember that I shouldn't go up against a Ground-type with Raikou."

Joleen punched me lightly in the arm. "Considering what you knew before starting on this venture, I'd say you've really improved."

"Thanks," I muttered as we stepped out from the underbrush and into a bright clearing. The sight was enough to make me stop in my tracks as the others continued on ahead.

Several buildings stood out in a rather stark comparison to the green surrounding it. I could tell that this place must have been an impressive facility at some point. It now lay in the semblance of tidy ruins. Whatever had happened here, nature was winning and slowly taking over once more. Several people and creatures I assumed were Pokémon appeared to have made shelters out of the remnants that had remained intact.

It was at this point that I noticed that the trees actually had green growing on them. I remember studying about leaves, but since the forest around Nuvema had been barren of such, I'd never gotten the chance to actually see any. This was a shock. Things were thriving here, and I could almost feel it through all of my senses. The air smelled as fresh as the green was vibrant. A rustling sounded as a gentle breeze wove its way through the foliage surrounding us. I could have stood staring at the quiet scene for hours.

My awe and wonderment was abruptly shattered when something cold slammed into my lower body and almost knocked me over. Whatever it was, it swiftly manoeuvered itself behind my back and clung there shaking.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed as I swiftly regained my balance.

 _"Sno,"_ yelped what appeared to be a small snow covered tree. It only came up to my chest in height, and as I turned to view it more, it glanced up at me with wide green eyes.

 _"Licki!"_

 _"Beheeyem!"_

The shouts turned my attention towards the two Pokémon it was fleeing from. One was a pink Pokémon almost the same height as the tree clinging to me and had an extremely large tongue protruding from its mouth. The other was a brown Pokémon that almost appeared to be hovering off the ground. It had a very oblong head with beady green eyes and three differently coloured lights on the end of its arms instead of hands. Both were approaching fast in a rage.

Somehow, I had the Master Ball out of my jacket pocket and into the air before I'd realized I'd made a conscious decision to protect the snowy tree Pokémon cowering behind me.

"Go, Raikou!"

The yellow tiger Pokémon appeared before me and growled loudly as the other two Pokémon halted in their tracks. Raikou glanced back at me as if awaiting my instructions.

I needed more information if I was to face these two new Pokémon. I pulled out the Pokédex my mother had given me and aimed it first at one Pokémon and then the other as they slowed to a stop to confront my Raikou.

 _-"Lickitung, the Licking Pokémon. When it extends its over six-foot long tongue, its tail quivers. There is a possibility they are connected."-_ stated the device loudly.

 _-"Beheeyem, the Cerebral Pokémon. It can manipulate an opponent's memory. Apparently, it communicates by flashing its three different-coloured fingers."-_

"Get ready, Raikou," I exclaimed while crouching slightly the same time my Pokémon did.

I waited for both Pokémon to make a move. If I was right, Beheeyem was a Psychic type, and I couldn't be certain about the Lickitung, but I was hazarding a guess that it might be Normal. Instead of attacking, they moved back a few paces and abruptly fled.

I relaxed my stance in confusion before a female voice spoke almost directly behind me.

"There's no need for that young man."

I spun to face an old lady with long hair in the process of transforming from dark blue to silver. She had a stern face lined with several worry lines which seemed to make her age difficult to make out, and yet she had an aura of authority. There was no doubt in my mind that she was in charge as she held her forefinger and thumb to the edge of her glasses and peered down at me.

"Fennel!" exclaimed Amanita as she joined us with Joleen and Rex following closely behind her. I had all but forgotten about them in the sudden rush of a potential battle. "We have guests."

"I can see that," said the woman while looking me up and down before shifting her attention to the Raikou beside me and the white and brown Pokémon still clinging to my back. "Please escort them back to my tent; we shall get their story there."

* * *

A/N: The three Pokemon Chris faces, Snover, Lickitung, and Beheeyem, were all chosen at random the moment I reached the part where Chris meets them in my writing. I had no prior plans for them before writing them in, although it does make sense that having a Pokemon that can manipulate peoples memories to aide in keeping the Dream Yard hidden from enemies. I'll go more into what Fennel and Amanita have been doing in the Dream Yard since Plasma's takeover in the next Chapter.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"That is quite the tale so far," remarked the older woman as she straightened her thin-framed glasses once again with her forefinger and thumb. It appeared to be a habit for her when she seemed to be analysing something. "I am very interested to know what you plan to do now, Chris."

She had taken us back to a rather large tan-coloured tent. It held several chairs of differing sizes and styles, of which Rex, Joleen and I had gladly taken. The walls were lined with long tables which boasted a lot of computer equipment. There was even something that looked a bit like some kind of arcade game with wires sprouting from it and sprawling like a web to connect to various other machines. I couldn't understand any of it.

Raikou walked with me the entire way back to the tent and the new Pokémon, the white and brown tree, had clung to my back the entire time. Even with me now sitting in a chair and having completed explaining how we came to be in the Dreamyard, it and Raikou were making muted noises at each other.

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to answer to Fennel when Joleen cut across anything I was planning to say.

"We needed to get him somewhere safe away from Team Plasma," exclaimed the girl. "We ne-"

"That will be quite enough Miss Joy," snapped Fennel in stern politeness. "Unless you have legally changed your name to Chris within these last few minutes, I don't want to hear another word out of you. In fact, I'm pretty sure we have some other Pokémon refugees which could use your healing expertise."

Wide-eyed and silent for once, Joleen backed out of the large tent and vanished from sight. I waited a few moments before talking.

"I just wanted to heal the Raikou I caught and see if I can release it somewhere where Team Plasma will be unable to harm it," I said slowly. "I didn't want to cause trouble."

Amanita opened her mouth to speak, but Fennel cut her off.

"It's really no problem at all," the woman crouched down to scratch the ears of the Raikou lying beside my chair. "It seems that this Pokémon has indeed been healed. We have the means to return it to the Johto Region where it came from right here in this tent."

"You 'ave a workin' version o' the Pokémon Storage System?!" exclaimed Rex in loud alarm.

"Not quite," replied Amanita with a grin. "True, Team Plasma hacked into the data storage system I created for Unova and stole all the Pokémon being stored there at the time, but I spited them by creating a new one. My original design was based off the work of Bill from Kanto, Lanette from Hoenn and Bebe from Sinnoh. With Cassius's help from Kalos and an online friend named Bridgette, I was able to create an even better digital storage system completely cut off from Team Plasma's influence. We've been using it to transfer Pokémon from Unova to the other regions so they can escape the cruelty going on here. Bill, Lanette and Bebe each sent over Pokémon that were willing to help us remain hidden as well. You might meet some of them if you know where to go in Unova."

"Like our Swinub horde," said Fennel with an amused nod. "They help maintain the fog surrounding this place. Bill sent most of them over from the Johto Region. He also sent us our Espeon. Lanette has graciously provided us with a Gardevior and if you are lucky, you might meet the Azelf Bebe managed to obtain for us. They each help my Gothitelle and Musharna keep those with ill intentions away. It's how we have managed to evade Team Plasma for so long."

"Not all of our Pokémon here are Psychic types though," added Amanita quickly. "Some of them wanted to be sent over to help however they could. This Snover here was one of them; she was sent though my system from Sinnoh. Some, like the Beheeyem you met earlier, refuse the leave the region they were born to and love."

I nodded slightly as I absorbed the words they had spoken. I couldn't understand most of the names they sprouted, but I could understand what they were doing here.

"Why did you set up a camp here of all places?" I asked. "You could have been anywhere in Unova, why here?"

"This place used to be a facility where Musharna's dream mist was studied before it was levelled by an explosion," answered Fennel. "It was abandoned and became the home of Munna and Musharna."

Upon seeing my confusion, Amanita pulled a flat screen around and angled it at me, with a few taps of some keys, she pulled up a picture of two floating pink Pokémon. A smaller one had small purple flowers on it and the larger had a long plume of mist-like smoke swirling up from its forehead.

"These are the Pokémon she's talking about," said the younger woman. "Munna is the smaller one and Musharna is its evolution."

"Okay," I replied.

"They already kept those who meant them harm away from this area through creating dream-like illusions," continued Fennel. "Once Team Plasma started rounding up the wild Pokémon as well as those belonging to trainers, I decided to come here and ask the Pokémon for their help in creating a place safe from those who wanted to harm Pokémon. What you see here are the fruits of our labours."

"That's quite the operation," replied Rex. "It's a bold stand."

"Nowhere near bold enough," sighed Fennel. "I haven't stopped Team Plasma and now that they have found all the Pokémon they can from Unova, they have set their sights onto the other regions."

"Bill has reported seeing Team Plasma in Johto," replied Amanita soberly. "The champion there has been stretched thin between both Johto and Kanto, and I have no doubt that Team Plasma managed to obtain your Raikou from those regions."

"I believe you now face a crossroads," continued Fennel. "Chris, you know that Raikou is well enough to live on its own. We have the means to return it to Johto for you where it will be able to grow stronger in its home region. You could let it go and go back to being an ordinary citizen of Unova."

I hesitated and glanced down at the Raikou. It stared up at me with intelligent red eyes. The Snover beside it also seemed to be staring at me with a similar expression.

"You don't need to decide now," said Fennel. "I think taking a walk around the Dreamyard might do you some good. Think about it for as long as you need to and once you know what you want to do next, you can come back here and let us know."

* * *

A/N: Not much to say except for an onslaught of information about what Fennel and Amanita have been up to in the Dreamyard. I'm looking forwards to finding out what has happened to all the other characters you meet in the Pokemon Black and White versions.

Also, I had to take a little lore from both the games and the Anime about the Dreamyard. This is mostly based on the games with bits and pieces filtering in from the anime as well ... which is why I can't specify it as one or the other.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

I left the large tent with Raikou at my side. From the sounds coming from inside the tent, Fennel wanted to talk to Rex alone. I bowed my head slightly and started down a short path towards the remnants of one of the larger buildings. I knew I would have a lot to think about, and I felt I needed to be somewhere that wasn't very busy.

Once I was within the remnants of the building, I found a shaded corner beneath some stairs. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered no one near us. I removed my bag from my shoulders and slumped against the sturdy-looking wall before sliding to the ground. Now that I was seated, Raikou promptly sprawled its front legs across mine and rested its chin on top of its paws so it could stare at me while I removed my journal.

Just before I started writing, I noticed that the Pokémon from earlier, the white and brown one, had followed me. I pulled out my Pokédex to discover that it was called a Snover and that it was a seemingly curious Pokémon where new people were concerned. It probably explained why it was following me around. I invited it to stay with a gesture of its arm and it settled down beside the crumbled remains of a stairway to what might have once been a second floor to this building. It watched me with curious green eyes as I pulled out a small book from my bag and a pencil.

I wrote for a while.

I wrote about our departure from Accumula Town and my battle with Rex. I wrote about reaching the Dreamyard and everything we'd learned while it was still fresh in my mind. When I ran out of writing down the actions of the past few days, I could no longer put off contemplating the future.

I was uncertain of what I wanted to do. I guess I want to do the right thing, but I wasn't entirely confident with what that was supposed to be. I do know that healing Raikou was definitely the right thing to do. I was no longer sure if releasing it was the wisest course of action though. Fennel had mentioned that Team Plasma had extended their reach to the other regions.

I spent some time reflecting and writing. Most of it helped me lay out the words so I could recall them later in a more condensed and coherent form.

My first priority was Raikou's safety. As much as I was reluctant to admit to it, I had become very attached to the young Pokémon. It was quickly becoming a best friend. Within the glances it kept shooting me, I could tell most of what it seemed to want me to know. About halfway through my writing attempts to figure out what I wanted, I found myself speaking out loud to my Raikou and the Snover. Neither seemed to mind being a part of what I was thinking and I continued to jot down notes every so often to keep up with my one sided conversation.

I realized that as much as I wanted to return to being the normal person I had been back in Nuvema Town, I couldn't go back. Even if I let Raikou go to Johto, Team Plasma already knew I'd defied them and had captured a Pokémon. I wouldn't be free to return to my old life with my mother. I would be captured the moment they saw my face and thrown in a prison somewhere; and that was the best case scenario I could come up with. I figured there was a lot worse they could do. The only thing keeping my family safe was that Plasma was uncertain to the extent of their involvement with my crime.

That left me with the option of possibly remaining within the Dreamyard. I could probably enjoy helping Fennel save Pokémon and send them to the other regions. Joleen would probably be useful here too which her healing knowledge. Staying here would mean I could continue to learn about Pokémon. It was something I was beginning to discover I really enjoyed. The more I learned about them, the more I wanted to learn. Both Raikou and the Snover showed signs of intelligence similar to that of a human's; I was convinced I could learn a lot from them.

Another option was to continue travelling around Unova. I could discover the full extent of what Team Plasma had done to the rest of the region. Maybe, if I was able to learn enough, I might be able to do something about it.

That possibility made both Raikou and the Snover stare intently at me. It seemed they both liked that idea. I was a little confused why I had even come to that idea. Maybe it had to do with the strong feelings of betrayal directed towards them for my stunted personal growth? How about the fact that my home town looked like a barren wasteland of a forest whereas the Dreamyard was the only place I'd seen actual living trees? Or was it that they were chasing down and hurting intelligent creatures? What where they doing to my mother and grandfather?

What if I did nothing? What if I waited for someone else to stop Team Plasma? Surely I wasn't the only one who had Pokémon friends and the desired to do so. I only had Raikou and I didn't know nearly enough to take them on in hopes of defeating such an overwhelming threat. Rex had admitted to trying to defeat Team Plasma before and losing his Pokémon to them. If I decided that that was the course of action I wished to take, I would need both Joleen and Rex by my side. I knew that much from the short time I'd already spent travelling with them. They would be valuable allies with what they knew of Unova and Pokémon in general.

I petted Raikou's head and scratched behind one of its ears. It rumbled happily at the additional attention.

If I was to take on Team Plasma, I would need more allies. I'd need more Pokémon to help me. I'd need a strategy for taking down the organization. I'd need to know everything I could learn about how to take down Team Plasma and its king. I'd probably need to find out exactly how they had won in the first place so I wouldn't repeat the mistakes that lead to them winning.

I chuckled lightly to myself. It was mostly wishful thinking. It wasn't like I'd ever be the kind of person who could become a hero to save an entire region of people. And yet, the idea of freeing all the Pokémon Team Plasma had taken in the name of preventing human influence was a very tantalizing thought.

"What have we here?" A male voice I didn't know intruded into my contemplation.

I jumped to my feet and dropped my journal beside my bag. Raikou was instantly at the ready next to me with a stray spark travelling the length of its cloud-like cape.

"Who's there?!" I yelped.

"Just someone interested to know who wants to take on Team Plasma," replied the voice as a man with long green hair stepped around the stairs I'd placed myself under. He was grinning as he blocked my only exit. "I'd like to know just how you think you'll be able to do that."

* * *

A/N: Insert dramatic music here :P


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Who are you?!" I demanded as Raikou let loose a menacing growl to echo my ire at being trapped.

The man grinned and his green eyes twinkled. "Not an enemy if that's what you're worried about. How about I tell you my name if you can beat me in a battle?"

"I don't have a choice do I?" I grumbled as he crossed his arms.

The man's sudden chortle caused the Snover with Raikou and I to inch closer to us. "Oh, you definitely have a choice. You could choose to avoid a battle with a stranger by telling him everything he wants to know about your plans for taking on Team Plasma, or you could battle me and not tell me anything. You could do nothing, or you could try to stall me into talking more than I should until someone comes along and rescues you. The choices you could make are only as limited as by what your mind perceives to be its limits."

I glanced down at Raikou. His words made sense. I could make any choice I wanted to, but I was limiting myself to choices I thought to be right. Choices my mother would approve of I realized with a slight jolt. I understood that one possible choice could be to abandon Raikou and let others hurt it, but the thought of hurting such an amazing and intelligent creature made me feel sick to my stomach. I knew my choices needed to be about keeping my Raikou safe; even to the extent of putting me in personal risk.

"I will fight you," I stated with narrowed eyes. "But under certain conditions. You will promise that no matter who wins, Raikou will not come to harm. No amount of information is worth its pain."

"Some may not agree with you," stated the man with a nod as though I'd done something right. "Knowledge can be power. By knowing who you care about, Team Plasma might try to use them against you to get you to relinquish your Pokémon. Similarly, if you know your opponent's plan, you can form a counter-attack with ease."

I nodded slowly in comprehension. "Then maybe not having a plan at all could defeat one who tries. What about one who has a loose plan but a lot of room for improvising?"

"Looks like a sound idea to me," replied the man as he reached one of his hands up to the band keeping his hair back in a ponytail and removed a small green and yellow striped Poké Ball which expanded as he revealed it. "But let's see if you can put that to practice."

"Wait!" I exclaimed. "In here? It's too cramped for a battle."

"That's why we're going to do it within the rest of this building instead of under the stairs," he replied with a chuckle. He backed away from the entrance and allowed me and my Pokémon to follow him out.

Now that I was seeing him in more light than the space under the stairway offered, I could see more about him. He stood with the calm confidence of one who knew what he was doing. It made the worn black suit he was wearing seem to enhance the idea that he may have been a butler of some kind. It had muted green linings along the cuffs and up the seam of the arms. His clothing looked like they belonged so someone of lower standing rather than one with a lot of money. I could tell he had worn it often and yet took care of it.

The man tossed the ball into the air with a flourish of his fingers. "We're gonna battle come what may, Flora!"

In a flash of light, a sunflower appeared between the man and Raikou. I pulled out my Pokédex and aimed it at the Pokémon.

 _-"Sunflora. The Sun Pokémon. It gets energy from warm sunlight and is known for its habit of moving in pursuit of it."-_

"I'm going to guess it's a Grass-type," I stated more to myself than my opponent.

"Indeed," the man replied with a grin. "Since I have been a trainer for far longer than you have, you may use both of your Pokémon while I'll just use one. You can switch between them as often as you'd like."

"Wait, both?" I asked in alarm. "I only have Raikou."

"Sometimes Pokémon will choose for themselves which trainer they want to become partners with," replied the man with a nod towards the Snover sticking close to my side. "I've known this Snover since she came to Unova from Sinnoh. She's never shown this much interest in a person before."

"Is that true?" I asked the snowy tree Pokémon.

She met my eyes with a determined glint in them. _"Sno!"_

"If you are ready, you can choose who you'll want to start off with," said the man. "This is a one on one battle. You can only battle with one Pokémon at a time. Do these self-inflicted rules sound good to you?"

"Okay," I said while turning my Pokédex towards the Snover. "I just need to know what moves she has."

I navigated to the moves function of the device and pulled them up on the screen as it scanned the Snover. I didn't activate the vocal part that Joleen had shown me because my opponent was right about knowledge about the Pokémon he was battling against. Upon memorizing the moves displayed and their brief description of what they were, I lowered the device and faced the man.

"I'm ready," I said. "I'll be starting with Raikou."

 _"Rair!"_ agreed my Pokémon.

"Let the battle begin," stated the man with a smirk. "Since I challenged you, you may have the first move."

I stared at the Sunflora as I considered my possible moves. It swayed gently from side to side as though it was enjoying music of some kind that the rest of us couldn't hear. I knew for sure that it was a Grass-type. That meant that Raikou's Thundershock was not going to be so good against it. Roar wasn't an option either as this was the only Pokémon the man said he was using. It was a move used to change up the opponent's team and force them to change their strategy which wasn't going to happen here. That left Raikou's Bite and Leer. Snover, on the other hand had more potential, but it was an unfamiliar Pokémon and I didn't want to use it first.

"Raikou," I commanded when I came to a decision. "Use Leer."

My Pokémon glared at the sunflower Pokémon. Its swaying motion continued on uninterrupted.

"A status attack to begin with," replied the man with another wide grin. "Smart considering Electric-type moves won't be too good against my Pokémon. Flora, please use Sunny Day."

The flower Pokémon halted its movement while tilting its head back completely to stare straight up into the sky. The air around us suddenly got warmer as the sunlight gained a sharper glare. The Snover beside me shuttered in unease. Raikou appeared unaffected as it growled deeply in its throat. The Sunflora returned to its gentle swaying, but its rhythm was much faster than before.

"Raikou," I exclaimed. "Use Bite."

"Flora," said the green-haired man. He wore a smug smirk coupled with a raised eyebrow. "Pound please."

As my Raikou neared the flower Pokémon to bite it, the Sunflora slid neatly out of the way as though it were dancing elegantly and slammed one of its feet into my yellow tiger's side before it could react.

"What the?!" I exclaimed as my Pokémon was knocked to its side. It staggered to its feet and growled louder than before as it lunged at the Sunflora and bit part of the flower that appeared to make up part of its head.

"I guess I shall need to explain," said the man while still sounding smug. "My Sunflora's ability is Chlorophyll. That means that when Sunny Day is used and sunlight has been increased, her speed is doubled."

I narrowed my eyes and bit the inside of my cheek as I concentrated on what that meant with the battle. I realized that I'd gotten used to Raikou always moving first and landing hits too quickly for Rex's Dieno to avoid it. This was new, and I wasn't sure if I liked a flower being faster than my Pokémon.

"Leer again!" I yelped.

"Grasswhistle please," said the man with a polite nod.

The Sunflora opened its mouth and a gentle whistling melody came out. Raikou's red eyes drooped halfway into its glare. It shook its head hard and staggered. I watched in shock as it slumped to the ground with a muted moan. Muffled snores began to fill the remnants of the building once the sunflower stopped its whistling melody.

"Raikou!" I exclaimed in alarm. "What's wrong? What did you do?!"

The man held up a hand to tell me I should stay where I was instead of rushing out to my Pokémon like I'd been subconsciously preparing to do. "It's alright. It is merely asleep. I'm going to guess you haven't come across any status conditions before?"

"You can do that in a battle?" I asked in alarm.

"Why of course," commented the man while spreading his arms as though inviting someone to hug him. I didn't feel very welcomed. "Status conditions such as Poison, Confusion and Burning are as much an intricate part of battling as attacks which cause damage. Tell me, young trainer, what shall you do now?"

* * *

A/N: I've noticed that as Chris has started to gain experience and grow and learn, his storytelling has started growing and evolving as well. In this case almost literally as he's the one writing his story in his journal the same way a player might "save" their game. He started out with almost no knowledge of which to pull experience from and now he has friends to help him with that.

In some ways, Chris's story will mirror the original Black and White Pokemon games. I have full intentions for him to travel to the cities much the same way the original player first did. What he discovers once he gets to these places ... now that's what you'll have to wait for me to reveal.

Also, I'm pretty sure we all know who he's currently fighting here. Backstory shall be given in the next chapter.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I pointed the Master Ball at my slumbering yellow tiger without a moment of hesitation. "Raikou, Return!"

The Pokémon vanished in a flash of red light back into the purple ball while the man I was battling grinned even wider and tilted his head a little to the side. I got the feeling he'd been expecting that move.

"Snover," I said while addressing the white and brown tree Pokémon with a gentle and soothing tone. "It's your turn to help me out if you are willing."

The Pokémon nodded in determination and walked out to face the Sunflora still swaying in front of my opponent. She turned in my direction in a clear indication that she was going to wait for me to give out commands on what to do while still keeping an eye on the sunflower. I felt a slight twinge in my chest at how much she was willing to trust me after just meeting me.

"Alright," I said while flicking my own determined brown eyes up to meet those of the man across from me. "Snover, use Swagger."

"Too slow," murmured my opponent as he flicked his green bangs in a motion indicative of habit. "Grasswhistle."

Once again, the sunflower began to emit the lovely sound which had put my Raikou to sleep. I cringed as the harsh sunlight continued to make the flower Pokémon faster than mine.

To my surprise, instead of slumping to the ground and beginning to snore, the Snover began to glow with harsh red light and glared at the Sunflora. The flower shuttered and its gentle side to side rhythmic motion became erratic as though it was dizzy and having trouble standing straight. It was swaying in almost every compass direction now and I was sure the Confusion status the Pokédex had mentioned had taken effect. Now that the man had explained how Sleep was a part of battling, the move made more sense than when I'd first read it.

"Interesting," stated the man, although he didn't appear worried about what had happened. "I had my suspicions. That Snover is indeed a special Pokémon. It has its Hidden Ability, Soundproof."

"Hidden Ability?" I asked. I was pretty sure Joleen had mentioned something about that in reference to my Raikou.

"Most Pokémon can have one or two abilities, or additional effects they can take with them into battle, just like Flora's Chlorophyll," he answered with a glimmer in his green eyes. "Sometimes, you might be able to stumble across one which has what we call a hidden ability. It is much less common and really hard to find Pokémon with those abilities. It makes them rare and they can be used to surprise an opponent who didn't know that Pokémon could have that ability. In this case, all sound-based moves, like Grasswhistle, are completely useless against that Snover."

"Wow," I muttered, considering what that meant about the Pokémon. It could certainly be useful, especially if Team Plasma didn't know about the possibility. "Okay then, now use Razor Leaf."

The Snover raised its arms and a cloud of leaves sprouted from its green hand-like appendages. The cloud fluttered around it before it pointed at the confused sunflower and all the leaves shot off in its direction.

"Dodge and Pound," commanded the man.

The Sunflora tried to run towards Snover but tripped over its own feet and landed face down on the cracked floor of the broken building. The leaves summoned by the small tree peppered the flower and sliced parts of its leaves, petals and stem. The fellow grass-type Pokémon got to its feet while still swaying erratically in all directions. I glanced up slightly as the harshness of the sunlight dimmed back to its regular brightness and the temperature increase it had brought dropped as well.

"Quick," I commanded while pointing at the Sunflora. "Use Icy Wind while it's slower!"

The small tree pointing its arm at the sunflower once more and this time a swirl of snowflakes sprouted and flew into the pure grass-type Pokémon. The Sunflora tried to brace itself, but was toppled over by the cold wind. It lay on the ground on its back and didn't try to get back up.

"Looks to me like you have defeated me," replied the man with a wide grin as he recalled his defeated Pokémon back into its ball. "You are worthy to raise your Raikou, and that Snover has made a wise choice in choosing you to be her trainer."

"I-," I hesitated as the Snover hurried over to my side and beamed up at me. "I don't know what to say. That wasn't like my first battle attempt."

"From what I heard from Joleen, you got really lucky with that one," replied the man while placing his hand inside his suit. He withdrew it with something glittering between his fingers. "That is why I am happy to give you this as a sign that you have learned a lot since then. This is Unova's official Trio Badge given to those who have defeated the official Gym Leader of Striaton City. Well, one of them. My name is Cilan and I used to be the Gym Leader before Team Plasma took over and disbanded us."

I accepted the object he held out for me. It was a pin lined in gold with thee small gems in it. The center gem was red while the other two on the outer edges were green and blue. I glanced back up at the man with alarm.

"I what now? That was a test?"

"Exactly," replied Cilan. "Before Team Plasma got rid of them, the Gym Leaders used to test trainers to see if they could be worthy to have the chance to claim the title of Unova Champion. I used to run the Striaton Gym with my brothers Cress and Chili."

"Used to?" I asked softly.

"Unfortunately," the man continued with a sigh. "Cress fought against having our Pokémon taken in the first place and was arrested almost immediately by Plasma for it. After that, Chili got a hold of a new fire-type Pokémon, and he left in pursuit of the king of Team Plasma. I don't know what has happened to either of them since I last saw them. I'm the only one left to look after our café now that it's no longer allowed to be a gym. Helping Fennel where I can is the only way I can live with my cowardice."

I stared at him in silence with the Snover clinging to my side and the gym badge still cupped in my hand.

"Sorry, I figured you ought to know," he replied in a low tone. "Fennel sent me to see how you were doing and overhearing you talk to your Pokémon about plotting to take on Team Plasma for their sake made me excited. So I decided to test you as an unknown threat and see how you would react. You're a quick study. If you really do want to take on Team Plasma, then I suggest you head to Wellspring Cave. Lenora was holed up there last I heard. Show her that badge and she'll help you any way she can."

"I-," I started as I tried to sort through the whirlwind of thoughts. "I'll need to think about this."

"Take all the time you need," replied Cilan while placing a hand on my shoulder. "Your Pokémon and your friends will support you no matter what you decide."

* * *

A/N: Well, it certainly has been a while since I last posted a Chapter. Almost a year to be exact. I found myself a little stuck on the battle, but now we know who Chris was battling :P

The next chapter should be a fun one and do a lot of explanation through showing. I know I still have to work on that some more. It's still something I struggle with in writing.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I stared at the boy before me.

He stared back at me with creamy brown eyes framed by thin circular glasses. His black hair was chopped short with most of it slicked back and spiked along the top of his head. He raised an eyebrow and disapproval radiated from his gaze as I turned my attention down to his clothes. A tight, collared black shirt, long brown pants and black shoes made him look like he was a school nerd. Even the bag, a satchel now slung across one shoulder and down to his side accented the impression that he belonged to a rich family.

I groaned and raised both arms up to my head and the boy before me copied every movement exactly.

Gone was my long, wavy brown hair. Gone were the comfortable jeans and shirts. Gone was my old backpack.

I stared at myself in the mirror with growing disgust and horror leaking onto the face I saw reflected there. I looked like a complete stranger.

"Are you almost ready to go?" asked a familiar female voice as an unfamiliar girl entered the tent I had been given for my stay in the Dream Yard. "Oh wow, they certainly did a good job on you. You look nothing like the Chris I met!"

I stared at Joleen. Her own hair had been dyed to a dark red color which bordered brown. Her ever perky blue eyes peered at me through semi rimless pink glasses. Her clothes matched mine with a black vest over a white blouse and a knee-length skirt.

"I feel like a stranger," I muttered, absently sweeping a hand up to tuck a non-existent strand of hair behind my ear.

"What else did you expect was going to happen?" she asked with a grim grin. "Plasma knows what you look like. We can't journey across Unova with you looking like you. Fennel and Amanita where right about that. We would set foot in Striaton only to be caught. We're not going to take any chances."

I sighed deeply. "I know. I don't like this, but I know."

I turned back to the mirror and swept over my features again. With Joleen behind me in her own makeover, she could almost pass as looking like my sister. I wouldn't doubt that was what Fennel and Cilan had been aiming for.

"Is this what I think it is?" asked the girl while picking up my small, blue, leather-bound book from the table next to the mirror. She flipped it open to a random page. "Huh."

"Hey!" I yelped and tried to grab it out of her hands.

She raised it up and out of range of the first lunge. I caught it on the second attempt and pulled it from her grip.

"How come your journal is written differently from how you speak and act?" she asked while settling on the small bed and spreading her skirt out like a delicate flower. "I mean, you come across as a kid who doesn't want to be in your situation, but from what little I saw, it looks like you're writing an essay rather than a journal."

I looked down at my shoes as I tucked the journal in with the items and Poké Balls I'd moved over from my previous bag. "My mother is Professor Juniper. She was the teacher at school in Nuvema. She was strict with how she wanted things to be written."

The girl opened her mouth only to be interrupted by Amanita at the opening to the tent.

"We're waiting on both of you," said the young woman while shooting a knowing look at Joleen who grinned innocently and shrugged. "Joleen was supposed to summon you so your journey across Unova could start."

* * *

A/N: Just something short I'd been wanting to write in here for a while. Both Joleen and Chris have had a change of appearance.


End file.
